Republic of the Philippines

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES

SENATE
Pasay City

FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF

Office of Senator Aquino

FROM THE DIRECTOR III or

Legislative Committee Support Services "C"

SUBJECT INCLUSION OF SENATOR AQUINO AS ONE OF

THE AUTHORS IN COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 286 -
RE: SENATE BILL NO. 3122 (PROVISION FOR
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE STRUCTURES)

DATE 23 September 2009

This is with reference to the inclusion of Senator Aquino's name as one of the
authors in the Committee Report No. 286 - Re: Senate Bill No. 3122 ( Provision for
Reproductive Health Care Structures) even though the good Senator did not
author a single bill on Reproductive Health. Below is a brief backgrounder on the
matter.

1. Sometime on the last week of February 2009 , the undersigned received a call
from the Office of Senator Biazon soliciting the former's assistance in the
preparation of the Cover Sheet for Committee Report No. 286 , Senate Bill No.
3122.

2. At that time the legislative committee secretary for the Committee on Health and
Demography was not around and so the undersigned being the Service Chief of
the unit where the Committee is lodged agreed to assist in the preparation of the
Committee Report.

3. Sensing the great urgency of the matter and after some research on the subject
the undersigned was able to finish the Cover Sheet in a few hours. The said
document was transmitted to the Office of Senator Biazon for their perusal,
consideration and review.

4. Since the task was completed the undersigned did not monitor the status of the
Committee Report since he was preoccupied with his corollary assignments as the
legcomsec of the Committees on Ethics and Privileges/ Committee of the Whole
(on P. S. Res. No. 706- CS Road Extension Project aside from his duties as Service
Chief of LCSS "C"

1
5. Last weekend, the undersigned received a text message from the staff of Senator
Biazon inquiring why Senator Aquino's name was included as one of the authors in
the Committee Report on the Reproductive Health Bills even though Senator
Aquino DID NOT AUTHOR A SINGLE BILL ON THE MATTER. The undersigned
replied that he could not recall the circumstances surrounding the matter since the
crafting of the abovementioned Committee Report happened MORE THAN SEVEN
MONTHS AGO.

6.) Yesterday the undersigned secured a copy of C.R. 286 (SB No. 3122) and
indeed the name of Senator Aquino appears as one of the authors of the substitute
measure even though he DID NOT AUTHOR A SINGLE BILL ON REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH.

7.) Even though the crafting of the Committee Report happened last February 2009
or A FULL SEVEN MONTHS AGO the undersigned tried his best to recall what
happened during the month of February 2009.

8.) Since the preparation happened 7 months ago it was quite difficult to
remember the possible explanation why Senator. Aquino's name appears as one of
the authors of the Reproductive Measure even though Senator Aquino NEVER
FILED A BILLON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH.

9.) The undersigned could only surmise that the inclusion of Senator Aquino's
name as one of the authors of the substitute bill on Reproductive Health was due to
the fact that some of the legislative measures on Reproductive Health were
secondarily referred to four other Committees including the Committee on Local
Government which Senator Aquino currently Chairs. It has been the practice that
Chairpersons of the Secondary Committees to which the bills were referred to are
made Co Authors in the Committee Report. At hindsight, the undersigned failed to
observe the procedure as provided for under the Rules of the Senate which
stipulates that those CHAIRPERSONS OF THE SECONDARY COMMITTEES WHOSE
SIGNATURES DO NOT APPEAR IN THE AFOREMENTIONED COMMITTEE REPORT
SHOULD NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED AS CO AUTHORS. However
after the Committee Report has been filed, and in the event the Chairs so wish to
be made Co Authors of the Measure, there MUST BE A FORMAL MANIFESTATION
of their desire to be CO AUTHORS DURING PLENARYSESSIONS.

10.) It is clearly INADVERTENCE on the part of the undersigned that Senator

Aquino's name was included as a eo author of the substitute bill on Reproductive
Health Substitute measure

11) The undersigned would like to express his sincere apologies for this oversight.

Art~icaJr.
Service Chief,
Legislative Committee Support Services "C"