[Rappler Investigates] This insane, ludicrous Senate

Is the current Senate an institution that statesmen like Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., Jovito Salonga, Nene Pimentel, Miriam Santiago, Rene Saguisag, Joker Arroyo, or Frank Drilon would recognize today? (READ: Pre-Martial Law senators’ families speak out: ‘This isn’t the Senate we knew’)

It’s obviously a rhetorical question. 

Wednesday’s political maneuverings saw the former minority senators — Tito Sotto, Bam Aquino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Ping Lacson, Lito Lapid, Kiko Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, JV Ejercito, Migz Zubiri — being joined by Chiz Escudero to constitute a “legal” quorum and elect a new president pro tempore. That pro temp, Gatchalian, who had already been previously floated as a possible Senate president, is now acting Senate president. They constitute the new majority. Given the fluidity of things, we’re never sure what will come next.

Justice reporter Jairo Bolledo explains the legalities behind this counter-move that was anchored on what’s called the Avelino doctrine of 1949. Essentially, the Supreme Court back then ruled on:

• the legality of a quorum of 12 senators out of 23 (one was abroad, while another who was confined in a hospital was counted as part of the 23 senators)
• the validity of actions taken by the 12 

Read more here about then-Senate president Jose D. Avelino and how he led a walkout of 10 senators to prevent Tañada from delivering a speech that would have been critical of him. There are evident parallelisms between this 1949 incident and yesterday’s tactical moves in the Senate. 

Rewind to May 11, when Sotto was ousted as Senate president. A succession of dramatic events saw Senator Bato dela Rosa evading an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court and Senator Jinggoy Estrada arrested for plunder. 

The Cayetano bloc retaliated by boycotting the plenary on June 1, in effect paralyzing the Senate since there was no quorum to conduct any business. By June 2, an 11-11 deadlock in the Senate was evident, even as Cayetano resorted to dirty tricks, turning off air-conditioning and Wi-Fi at the plenary hall. With days to go before adjournment sine die, it became imperative for the Sotto bloc to act.

Philippine politics is never short of rhetoric. Cayetano, for example, framed their boycott as a fight for Senate independence. The other camp has insisted it is about following rules and the rule of law. Preposterous to amend existing Senate rules to allow online voting, as Senator Rodante Marcoleta had wanted, under “justifiable” circumstances. This was clearly intended to allow Dela Rosa to vote during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. It is an existential question, after all, for her whose political career will be put on permanent pause if she is convicted.

Cayetano has not yielded the Senate presidency, insisting in a Facebook post that he is the “legitimate, legal, and moral Senate president of the Republic of the Philippines.” He also declared that the blue ribbon committee under the leadership of his sister Pia will push through with its scheduled hearing today. It did, with Marcoleta allowed to preside. Meanwhile, the other camp’s recognized blue ribbon committee chair, Erwin Tulfo, has rescheduled his hearing to Monday, June 8.

Citing the Constitution and the required number of senators to elect a new Senate president, Cayetano said he would voluntarily step down if the other camp gets 13. Given his track record, he is not one to readily and easily accept defeat. Will the Gatchalian camp get the magic 13 that will make him Senate president?

Those in the know say that the green light has been given for more aggressive, no-holds-barred action against perceived enemies of the administration, especially those who have committed egregious sins of corruption. Why it took this long is beyond me. I can only surmise that there might have been fears of inadvertently shooting oneself in the foot. Whose foot? Your guess is as good as mine.

But we are midway 2026, a little less than two years before the next presidential elections. Experienced hands have said preparations for such contests require a minimum three-year runway. There is no time to waste.

Many have been saying too — very much like a broken record — that we get the leaders we deserve. Hopefully, the Senate teleserye will make everyone see the glaringly wrong choices that were made, and in 2028 onwards, not commit the same mistakes. Otherwise, the brilliant senators who came before will twist and squirm in their graves.

Till Thursday after next!

Sara Duterte yet to regain high public approval as impeachment trial looms

Jinggoy Estrada got away with plunder twice. Will there be a 3rd time?

Here’s how a truth commission will investigate Duterte’s war on drugs

Imee Marcos ‘propaganda’ video on Cha-Cha draws flak from Senate minority

Jinky Luistro, rising star

– Rappler.com

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