TOKYO — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed dismay over recent developments in the Senate, which he believes has lowered the reputation of the chamber.

“Things have become personal, the discourse has become very shallow,” the President, recalling his own Senate stint, said.

“It is very (concerning). I watched with horror as the Senate became (like) this. I looked at my fellow senators then. Executive Secretary Ralph (Recto) and I often look at each other and ask, “Were we like that when we were senators? Did we do those things? We weren’t like that. How did this happen? The Senate is no longer the way it was in our time. Because it has become personal now,” Marcos said during the Kapihan with reporters, part of his three-day state visit to Japan.

‘Fake’ shooting

He said that during his time as a senator, things were very different. After a no-holds-barred debate, they would sit and talk over a cup of coffee, eat together and remain friends.

“After the session, we’d have coffee together. It wasn’t personal. It was about work, not about personalities. Things have changed,” he said.

“We’ve even gotten to the point of a shooting incident. And it turned out the shooting was fake. I can’t understand it. Nothing like that ever happened during my time in the Senate. Of course, the only basis for comparison that I have is the period when I served in the Senate,” the President added.

It was the first time the President used the word “fake” to describe the shooting in the Senate building on 13 May.

Following the incident, some quarters suggested the commotion was staged to create a diversion and allow Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who has a standing warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC), to make his getaway.

The President said he never imagined the Senate would descend into the situation it’s in now.

“The Senate is now sheltering fugitives from justice. How did that happen? I don’t understand how a Senate is supposed to function if it’s embroiled in those kinds of things. I hope they figure it out soon. I really do,” he said.

The President also denied being behind the filing of charges against members of the Senate majority.

“I don’t know how it came to the point where people are saying that the majority is being targeted. Because if you look at it closely, they were not the majority back then. So that does not apply,” he said.

“No, this has nothing to do with whether one belongs to the majority or the minority. This is a consequence of the findings of the Blue Ribbon Committee and of the various government agencies,” the President said.

Online voting

As for senators being allowed to vote remotely, the President, as a former senator, said he was not in favor of it.

“I disagree with that. I understand that we had to do it during Covid because of the health risk. But I do not see any particularly good reason to allow it now. It seems to apply only to Senator Bato so he could cast his vote because he is in hiding,” he said.

“Now, for someone who is actually a fugitive from justice, who is sought by the police, being sought by Interpol, and with an arrest warrant from the ICC, I believe he should not be allowed to vote unless he shows up at the Senate,” he said.

Marcos said it has been the longstanding tradition in the Senate that if one is not physically present on the floor when a vote is taken he cannot vote.

“Again, Covid gave us a different outlook because we were concerned about health and safety at that point. We do not have those concerns now,” he said.

Minority walkout

Last Tuesday, the Senate minority walked out of the session after the majority moved to tweak the rules on online voting.

This is believed to favor the majority which is counting on the votes of the absent Dela Rosa, as well as of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva who face arrest on plunder charges, in the face of Vice President Sara Duterte’s coming impeachment trial.

At this writing, Estrada has posted bail for one of the charges he is facing.

The majority of 13 senators would then be overwhelmed by the minority which has 11 members.

The President also maintained that Malacañang does not choose the Senate president.

“The senators themselves decide. You can ask any senator. As a former senator, I will laugh in your face because that’s not true. You’re going to tell a senator how to vote? That kind of talk seems absurd to me,” he said.

No truth to No-El

The President was also asked about allegations made by his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, that he was conspiring with some senators and representatives to form a Constitutional Assembly in order to extend his term.

“She should fire her staff who gave her that information. Because, you know, fake news hurts everyone. Not only the targets of fake news but also those who are purveying the fake news. So she should choose the sources of information that she receives,” the President said.

“Because the truth of the matter is we have never at any point ever spoken about this anywhere with anyone at any time. You in the media are well aware of the effects of fake news. That is a perfect example of it. Fake news is a corrosive influence across all sectors of society, including politics, economics, and human relations. And if you are not part of the solution, you become part of the problem. And that’s the perfect example of that,” Marcos said.