The 15th Congress of the Philippines (), composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, met from July 26, 2010, until June 6, 2013, during the first three years of Benigno Aquino III's presidency. The convening of the 15th Congress followed the 2010 general elections, which replaced half of the Senate membership and the entire membership of the House of Representatives.
Leadership
Senate
President: Juan Ponce Enrile (PMP), until June 5, 2013 Jinggoy Estrada (PMP), acting: from June 5, 2013 President pro tempore: Jinggoy Estrada (PMP) Majority Floor Leader: Tito Sotto (NPC) Minority Floor Leader: Alan Peter Cayetano (Nacionalista)
House of Representatives
Speaker: Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Quezon City–4th, Liberal) Deputy Speakers: Beng Climaco (Zamboanga City–1st, Liberal) Raul Daza (Northern Samar–1st, Liberal) Arnulfo Fuentebella (Camarines Sur–3rd, NPC) Pablo P. Garcia (Cebu–2nd, NUP) Jesus Crispin Remulla (Cavite–7th, Nacionalista) Erin Tañada (Quezon–4th, Liberal) Majority Floor Leader: Neptali Gonzales II (Mandaluyong, Liberal) Minority Floor Leader: Edcel Lagman (Albay–1st, Lakas), until January 20, 2012 Danilo Suarez (Quezon–3rd, Lakas), from January 20, 2012
Sessions
First Regular Session: July 26, 2010 – June 6, 2011 Second Regular Session: July 25, 2011 – June 6, 2012 Third Regular Session: July 23, 2012 – June 5, 2013
Party summary
Senate AffiliationParty (Majority/minority bloc/unclassified)(Shading indicates party has members in the majority bloc)Total LDPLakasLPNPNPCPDPPRPPMPIndB-VNPVacantEnd of 14th Congress1 / 0 3 / 1 3 / 1 0 / 3 1 / 0 0 / 1 1 / 0 2 / 0 4 / 1 1 / 0231Election 1 4 5 4 2 0 1 2 5 0240June 30, 2010 1 4 4 4 2 0 1 2 5 0231July 25, 20101 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 1 / 0 0 / 1 2 / 0 2 / 2 0231August 2, 20101 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 1 / 0 0 / 1 2 / 0 4 / 0 0231August 4, 20101 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 1 / 0 1 / 0 2 / 0 4 / 0 0231August 3, 20111 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 1 / 0 1 / 0 2 / 0 4 / 0 0222August 15, 20111 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 1/0/1 1 / 0 2 / 0 4 / 0 0231August 17, 20111 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 2 / 0 1 / 0 2 / 0 4 / 0 0231May 10, 20121 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 2 2 / 0 2 / 0 1 / 0 3 / 0 3 / 0 0231July 8, 20121 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 3 / 2 2 / 0 2 / 0 1 / 0 3 / 0 2 / 0 0231September 21, 20121 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2/2/1 2 / 0 2 / 0 1 / 0 3 / 0 2 / 0 0231September 23, 20121 / 0 2 / 1 4 / 0 2 / 3 2 / 0 2 / 0 1 / 0 3 / 0 2 / 0 0231
House of Representatives AffiliationParty (Shading indicates party has members in the majority bloc; italicization indicates party has members from the minority bloc)Total BilBPPCDPKBLLDPLakasLMLPNPNPCNUPPDPPDSPPMPUNAIndLTPLVacantEnd of 14th Congress 0 — — 0 1 123 1 30 24 25 — 5 0 2 — 4 1 532693Election 0 — — 1 2 105 1 45 24 30 — 2 1 6 — 7 0 022463May 2010 105 3525928June 25, 20101 96 66 23 31 0 5 2 3526324July 22, 2010 95 3526225July 25, 20101 1 89 1 73 22 30 2 5 2 3926522August 2, 20104427017September 1, 20104627215September 7, 20104727314September 21, 20105027611September 27, 2010532798October 7, 2010542807November 22, 2010902816November 30, 2010912825January 17, 2011552834February 4, 20116130March 7, 20116056March 16, 2011612843May 30, 201112852July 25, 201157742129352861August 3, 201102852August 30, 2011543037December 31, 2011552843January 19, 2012533January 26, 2012522834February 13, 201212843April 16, 2012733May 4, 20127436May 25, 20125142834May 29, 2012542825May 31, 2012502816June 4, 2012752825August 13, 2012742816October 9, 2012552825October 10, 2012562834October 18, 2012732825November 5, 20120112891184427 0 0114December 25, 2012432816March 19, 2013902807April 24, 2013272798Final voting share 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 9% 0% 31% 6% 16% 10% 0% 0% 0% 4% 1% 0% 20%
Members
Party standing
Senate +Party standing and blocs PartyMajorityBloc MinorityBloc Total % 1 0 1 4.17% 2 1 3 12.50% 4 0 4 16.67% 2 3 5 20.83% 2 0 2 8.33% 1 0 1 4.17% 1 0 1 4.17% 2 0 2 8.33% sFormer NPC: 1, former UNO: 1, former LDP: 1, former PDP–Laban 4 0 4 16.67%Totals 19 4 23 95.83%* *for purposes of quorum and voting, the vacant seat is included.
House of Representatives +Party standing and blocs
PartyMajorityBloc Ind. MinorityBloc Total % Bukidnon Paglaum 1 0 0 1 0.35% 1 0 0 1 0.36% 1 0 0 1 0.36% 1 0 0 1 0.36% 1 0 0 1 0.36% 10 0 11 21 7.34% 90 0 0 90 31.47% 16 0 2 18 6.41% 38 0 5 43 15.30% 30 0 0 30 10.68% 1 0 0 1 0.36% 9 1 1 11 3.91% s 4 0 0 4 1.42% Party-list 51 0 5 56 19.93%Totals 254 1 24 279 100.00%*Percent 88.81% 0.36% 39% 97.55%
Memberships in committees and other bodies Note: Doesn't include oversight committees created for specific laws.
Commission on Appointments The Senate President sits as the chair of the Commission on Appointments, who can only vote to break ties; the head of the contingent of the House of Representatives serves as the vice chairman and can vote not just only to break ties. Chamber Party Chair/vice chair Party Minority leaderSenate Juan Ponce Enrile Joker ArroyoHouse of Representatives Roilo Golez Simeon Datumanong
Judicial and Bar Council The chairs of the respective houses' committees of justice shall serve as ex officio members of the Judicial and Bar Council. The Chief Justice is the ex officio chairman, while the president appoints the members, with confirmation from the Commission on Appointments. Chamber Party NameSenate Francis EscuderoHouse of Representatives Niel Tupas, Jr.
Electoral tribunals The Senate Electoral Tribunal is composed of six senators and three justices of the Supreme Court; the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal on the other hand is composed of six representatives and three justices of the Supreme Court. Electoral tribubal Party Contingent leader Party Minority leaderSenate Francis Pangilinan Pia CayetanoHouse of Representatives Franklin Bautista Simeon Datumanong
Senate committees
The Senate President, Senate President pro tempore and the Floor Leaders are ex officio members of all committees; the majority floor leader is automatically the chair of the Committee on Rules.
House of Representatives committees
The Speaker, Deputy Speakers and the Floor Leaders are ex officio members of all committees; the majority floor leader is automatically the chair of the Committee on Rules.
Legislative activities
Legislative calendar First Regular Session: Commencement: July 26, 2010 Adjournment: October 16, 2010 Resumption: November 8, 2010 Adjournment: December 18, 2010 Resumption: January 17, 2011 Adjournment: March 26, 2011 Resumption: May 9, 2011 Adjournment: June 9, 2011 Second Regular Session Commencement: July 25, 2011 Third Regular Session
First Regular Session
Convening
Unlike at the beginning of the 14th Congress, the election of the presiding officers for both houses proceeded without incident as Quezon City representative Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. of the Liberal Party was elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives while Juan Ponce Enrile of PMP was re-elected Senate President. Alan Peter Cayetano of the Nacionalistas and Albay representative Edcel Lagman of Lakas-Kampi were named minority floor leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Benigno Aquino III bared the anomalies during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo such as a budget deficit in the first half of the year, a depleted calamity fund that mostly went to Pampanga, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's home province, corruption at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Department of Public Works and Highways, National Power Corporation, Metro Rail Transit Corporation and the National Food Authority. Aquino announced steps to weed out tax evaders, and asked the Commission on Appointments to be easy on his Cabinet.
Postponement of the barangay elections
The minority bloc filed bills to postpone the upcoming barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK; youth council) elections in October until 2011. Lakas-Kampi representative Danilo Suarez of Quezon remarked that since the barangay and SK elections were too close to the just-concluded general election, and that congressmen would run out of funds as candidates for barangay positions turn to them for financial support. The president wants the barangay elections to be held at October, but the winners' terms shall only be until May 2013 where the barangay elections will be held concurrently with the 2013 general election. In the Senate, Migz Zubiri filed a bill that will postponed the elections until October 2012, with Enrile prioritizing it.
On August 18, the House of Representatives Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms agreed to consolidate bills that seek to postpone the barangay elections, with Commission on Elections chairman Jose Melo preferring a 2011 date since synchronizing it with the 2013 general election would be costly as it will be included in the automation project. The City Mayors League preferred postponement up to 2011, the Liga ng mga Barangay wants a 2012 election while the SK prefers any year as long as it is held in October.
In the next hearing of the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, the bills deferring the elections were defeated, paving the way for the elections to be held on October 25. Committee chairman Elpidio Barzaga said that "Mr. Aquino wants elections to push through because he wants barangay officials who will serve during his term to have a fresh mandate from the people," with the ex officio members of the House of Representatives voting on Magtanggol Gunigundo's motion to "lay down all the bills on the table." This meant that any further hearings on the matter shall be suspended indefinitely.
Impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez
While there had been attempts in the 14th Congress, to impeach Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, none of them passed the committee level.
In July 2010, Akbayan Citizens' Action Party filed an impeachment complain against Gutierrez. A few days later in August, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) filed a separate complaint. Both complaints were simultaneously referred to the House of Representative Committee on Justice headed by Iloilo representative Niel Tupas, Jr.
On September 1, the committee voted both complaints as sufficient in form. A week later, the committee voted both complaints as sufficient in substance. On September 13, Gutierrez filed a motion to the Supreme Court saying that the two complaints violated the one proceeding per year rule. The next day, the court voted to pass a status quo ante order that stopped the impeachment proceedings.
Five months after the order, the court lifted the status quo ante order, on February 15, 2011, thereby allowing the impeachment proceedings to resume, saying that while there are two complaints, there was only one hearing. The day before the committee would've met to continue the proceedings, Gutierrez filed a motion for reconsideration to reinstate the status quo ante order. The committee met anyway, and found the two complaints sufficient in grounds.
On the next hearing, Gutierrez, who had not been attending the impeachment proceeding as she had pending cases on the Supreme Court, sent a representative. The committee was about to vote on whether the two complaints had probable cause when they learned that the Supreme Court dismissed Gutierrez's petitions; after they were notified, the committee voted that both complaints had probable cause.
After a marathon session that lasted into the next day, the House of Representatives on March 22 voted to impeach Gutierrez of betrayal of public trust, with 212 in favor, 46 against and 4 abstentions. Tupas headed the House of Representatives delegation that passed the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate on March 23.
Gutierrez, citing that "the President needs an Ombudsman in whom he has complete trust and confidence," resigned on April 29, 2011. With her resignation, the senate canceled the impeachment trial.