The 16Th Congress
CongressWatch Report No. 176 Report No. 176 17 June 2013 The 16th Congress In the Senate The 16th Congress will open on 22 July, the same day that President Benigno Aquino III delivers his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA). The Senate will likely have a complete roster for the first time since the 12th Congress. It may be recalled that during the 2001 elections, 13 senators were elected, with the last placer serving the unfinished term of Sen. Teofisto Guingona who was then appointed as vice president. The chamber had a full roll of 24 senators for only a year, due to the appointment of Sen. Blas Ople as Foreign Affairs Secretary on 23 July 2002, and due to the passing of Sen. Renato Cayetano on 25 June 2003. The 11th, 13th, 14th, and 15th Congresses did not have full membership, primarily because a senator did not complete the six-year term due to being elected to another post.1 In the 2013 midterm elections last May, all of the six senators seeking re-election made it to the top 12, while two were members of the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress. The twelve senators-elect are: SENATOR PARTY PREVIOUS POSITION 1. ANGARA, Juan Edgardo M. LDP Representative (Aurora, lone) 2. AQUINO, Paolo Benigno IV A. LP Former chairperson, National Youth Commission 3. BINAY-ANGELES, Nancy S. UNA 4. CAYETANO, Alan Peter S. NP Outgoing senator 5. EJERCITO, Joseph Victor G. UNA Representative (San Juan City, lone) 6. ESCUDERO, Francis Joseph G. Independent Outgoing senator 7.
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