Of all the rotten things, the Senate, with only 24 members, now stands as a divided institution.
The Philippines, with a population of 117 million (per the 2024 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority), is led on the national level by 320 elected officials.
At the top is the Executive, led by two individuals (President and Vice President). Yet what once was united is now divided.
The Senate, as well, now has two sets of working committees. One is led by a Senate President who refuses to budge despite affirmations by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, former officials, and legal and political experts that the latest leadership change was legal.
The other is headed by a Senate President Pro Tempore who, some have noted, has accomplished more than the SP who has been accused of employing dirty tactics in his career.
He has a “penchant for twisting the rules” is how Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is described, if netizens are to be believed, though it might also apply to many lawmakers, some add.
Both legitimate journalists and non-media folk agree that the behavior displayed by this politician since the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte has been unbecoming of a lawmaker.
Divisive is what he is, actually, taking from his actions that have split the upper chamber.
Cayetano took all of us, not just his fellow senators, on a roller coaster ride fueled mostly by his own emotions. When he was a congressman, he displayed his brand of “convincing powers” to his colleagues by turning off the air-conditioning on them. If it weren’t so disturbing, it would have actually been quite hilarious.
Where does a fully grown man, a lawyer, and long-time political animal get the notion that by putting everyone in a state of discomfort, they would comply with his wishes? In the same sense, how would dividing the Senate accomplish anything for the Filipino people he purports to serve?
Clearly, what moves this Senate is purely politics — we may as well forget the public service part right now.
With stalled bills piling up, and the air of recrimination thickening the turmoil in the institution that he insisted should be given “respect,” it looks like the country is once again going to the dogs.
Even Mother Nature is not pleased. The 7.8-magnitude quake in Mindanao certainly stopped the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing in its tracks. All at once, our attention was riveted to this harrowing disaster that has led to the death and suffering of our fellow Filipinos in the south.
The response, we have seen, has been immediate. The affected communities are getting help, and the bayanihan spirit has once again spiked. Yet no one is impressed by the offer of politicians to donate a month’s salary to the victims. Nowadays, Filipinos are not as easily swayed by such politically colored moves.
Filipinos want peace and order emanating from the very top; otherwise, they know their concerns will never be prioritized and seen through until the next set of leaders comes along. And then it will be the same cycle over again.
Yes, if it weren’t so disturbing, it would actually be quite hilarious.
