Senate not Palace rubber stamp — Chiz

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero dismissed claims the upper chamber will be a “rubber stamp” of Malacañang following the change in its leadership.

“If this is a standard question to every Senate President, then I will answer that — no and we don’t plan to make it happen,” Escudero told reporters in a press briefing at the Senate on Thursday.

He assured the public the integrity and independence of the chamber would be maintained under his leadership.

“I don’t know what you would call my type of leadership because I’m not considering myself a leader only — I see myself as a bridge instead of just a leader,” he said.

Also, Escudero said he doesn’t see any reason not to maintain the independence and democratic functions of the Senate.

He said each senator would be encouraged to stand independently, not against the administration or any group or party, but to stand up for his or her vision and beliefs as to what is best for the country.

Politicians’ tendencies

In a DAILY TRIBUNE interview, lawyer and political analyst Edward Chico said it has always been the tendency of politicians, including lawmakers, to gravitate to or submit to the will of the executive branch.

Chico said this has to do with the lack of a strong party system in the country that leads to “ambivalence” both by politicians and their constituents. Political butterflies are “only guided by their vested interests,” he added.

New committee heads

Escudero has started to reorganize various committees, giving the man he replaced, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, the chairmanship of the Economics Affair Committee.

Senator Sonny Angara was tapped to head the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Senator Nancy Binay the Committee on Sustainable Goals, Senator Pia Cayetano for Energy, and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito the Local Government Committee.

Others given their respective committee assignments were Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, ethics and privileges; and Senators Lito Lapid, tourism; Imee Marcos, urban planning and housing; Raffy Tulfo, public services; Joel Villanueva, labor and human resources; and Mark Villar, government corporations and enterprises.

Escudero said the Senate has at least 45 committees, thus every senator should have at least one committee to oversee.

He said he would meet with House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the coming weeks to talk about the two chambers’ different stands on amending the Constitution.

Romualdez had expressed optimism that proposed amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution would finally materialize after the Senate leadership change.

“The economic amendments to the Constitution, we will leave that up to our friends in the Senate, it’s still pending there. For me, whatever will be beneficial to the people, we feel that economic reforms and amendments can do that, I’m sure the Senate will consider it,” Romualdez said.

Canceled hearings

Escudero noted that the public hearings on Resolution on Both Houses 6 (RBH 6) seeking to relax the constitutional restrictions on foreign equity in public utilities, higher education, and the advertising sector were canceled after Angara resigned as chairperson of the sub-committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes. The sub-committee has held five public hearings on RBH 6.

“This is a pending measure. So we have to decide, one way or another, how to go about it. But my thrust right now, without consulting my colleagues, is to assign where it should be assigned,” Escudero said.