Press Release
April 3, 2008

Jinggoy on most productive senators tag: "Just doing my job"

"I'm just doing my job as a lawmaker." - This was the reaction made by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada after being tagged as one of the two 'most prolific' among the 23 members of the upper chamber in terms of the number of bills and resolutions filed since the start of the 14th Congress in June last year. The other one is Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Based on the report by the Senate's indexing and monitoring section, Estrada has already filed 479 bills and resolutions.

Estrada was earlier also cited for having authored the most number of bills that have reached the Senate plenary, with 19 of his bills consolidated into various committee reports and sponsored in plenary session, four of which advanced up to enactment stage, namely: the provision of additional benefits and protection to househelpers or "kasambahay"; strengthening the University of the Philippines as national university; creating the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines; and, decriminalizing vagrancy.

The other of Estrada's bills consolidated in committee reports were: on expanded coverage of the Student Employment Program; expansion of the Scholarship Grant to Family Members of police, fire, jail and military personnel; amendment of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act; Socialized and Low-Cost Housing Loan Restructuring Program; amendment of the law on prostitution; Renewable Energy; publication of income and expenditures of local government units (LGUs); allowing LGUs to choose their depository banks; Anti-Torture Act; Fixing the Term of the AFP Chief of Staff; Environmental Education Act; Breastfeeding; Magna Carta of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Act; and the guidelines on Presentation of Suspects in Press Conferences.

Estrada, however, said the number of legislative measures filed is not the only yardstick of a senator's productivity, but added he has always been consciously balancing all the aspects of his work as a senator - from filing bills and resolutions, attendance on sessions and committee hearings, and, to initiating inquiries in aid of legislation.

He also clarified that the Senate's hearings and investigations, like those on the scandal surrounding the $329-million National Broadband Network project, are important and indispensable parts of their legislative functions, even as he noted that the Senate had passed 23 bills of national significance before their session break for the Holy Week amidst their hearings and investigations.

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