As they say, elect a clown and expect a circus, and this week in the Senate has proven just that. Following Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest on Monday, June 1, for plunder and graft charges in connection with the flood control scandal, the then-majority bloc skipped the plenary session scheduled the same day, leaving 11 minority senators without a quorum.Come the next day on Tuesday, June 2, half of the seats remained vacant, and another day in the Senate came to pass.
In a Facebook post, Alan Peter Cayetano maintained that their absence was a boycott aimed at defending Senate independence. He also criticized recent politically-charged warrants and investigations motivated by a desire to tip the scales in favor of the minority bloc in the Senate.
But, for the then-minority bloc comprised of Senators Risa Hontiveros, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and Vicente “Tito” Sotto, among others, it was simply an effort to avoid a confrontation in the Senate, where their dwindling numbers through Estrada and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa would put their strength into question.
Nonetheless, regardless of which side you’re on, it’s plain to see that the Senate, embroiled in an uncertain power struggle, has been stopped from doing its actual job.Rather than attending to their official tasks, some members of the Senate have instead prioritized politicking and grandstanding, leaving highly important bills and agendas by the wayside.
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Everything else they could’ve done
Following the Monday absence, the then-minority bloc took issue with the boycott and lamented the various tasks they weren’t able to attend to.
“Ang Senado ay hindi pag-aari ng iisang may hawak ng gavel. Institusyon ito ng taumbayan at napakadaming mahalagang panukala ang nabibinbin dahil sa drama ng mayorya (“The Senate does not belong to one person holding the gavel. It is an institution of the people, and many important measures are being delayed because of the majority’s drama”),” said the then-minority bloc in a joint statement.
According to the Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros, whom we’ve reached out to, the supposed plenary agenda that day included the following: The third reading for Senate Bill No. 2092, or an Act Declaring the Waling-Waling (Vanda Senderiana) as the National Orchid of the Philippines; House Bill No. 6639, or An Act Granting Philippine Citizenship to Bennie Francois Boatwright III; and House Bill No. 6644, or An Act Granting Philippine Citizenship to Matthew James Ramos.
Meanwhile, several bills were to be discussed for amendment: Senate Bill No. 1511 or the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, which aims to prevent medical institutions from holding patients hostage for being unable to pay their bills; and Senate Bill No. 1905 or the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, which seeks to establish formal channels for compensation and benefits for community health frontliners.
Not to mention, Senate Bill No. 1900 or the Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperatives Act, as well as Senate Bill No. 1991 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act (Senate Bill No. 1991), were also unable to proceed.
“Four of the eight [bills] on the agenda today were supposed to be agriculture bills that would have benefited farmers and fishermen, and all of the citizenship bills were not acted upon due to this abandonment of responsibility,” said Senator Kiko Pangilinan after Tuesday’s session.
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A victory for whom?
Now, following Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s surprise appearance in Wednesday’s, June 3, plenary session, the Senate finds itself in the middle of yet another power shift: a new majority of 12 versus a new minority of 10, and with Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian, elected also on Wednesday, at the helm.
But with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano continuing to assert his position as Senate President, the confusion continues. Was his ousting constitutional? Which Blue Ribbon Committee will we follow? Each side has its arguments, and yet we’re still at an impasse with no end in sight.
But in the end, regardless of allegiances, it doesn’t matter who is Senate President or not, or who the majority is. Until this circus is sorted out, the people who rely on the Senate to do their jobs can do nothing but watch and stand by as their pleas are tossed by the wayside.
