A year on, what have Senate freshmen done?

MANILA, Philippines – Whatever happened to the campaign promises packaged in catchy slogans and jingles?

It’s been a year since “Angara ng Buhay,” “Bida Ang Mamamayan,” “Nanay ng Senado,” “Call me JV,” “Tatak FPJ sa Senado,” and “Misis Hanepbuhay” helped convince millions to elect a fresh batch of senators. (READ: The 2013 Philippine elections)

Sonny Angara, Bam Aquino, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar got their mandate to occupy one of the highest positions in the land exactly one year ago on Tuesday, May 13.

Belonging to the group of so-called “old names, new faces,” some of the Senate rookies pursued family priorities and toed party lines while others set their own course. Most continued long-time advocacies but the Senate reorganization forced the rest to navigate a new terrain of issues.

Whether they were Congress veterans or political amateurs, all became senator at a time theirs is one of the most reviled jobs because of the pork barrel scandal. Even before they could warm their seats, the group of mostly 30 and 40-somethings had to deal with an institution under fire, and to make a stand on corruption and patronage.

How did they perform in office? Rappler takes a look at the Senate freshmen’s legislative and attendance record, investigations, position on the scam and key issues, and the challenges for their next 5 years in office. – Rappler.com

(Click on the images below to see the assessment for each senator.)