Hopefully, this will be my last piece on the regrettable incidents that shook the Senate last May, as its members begin the difficult task of restoring the dignity and credibility of the institution they were elected to serve. At issue is not merely the political embarrassment but whether the Senate can continue to command the public trust as a coequal branch of government.
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
The phrase is attributed to Admiral David Farragut during the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay. Faced with naval mines then called torpedoes, Farragut ordered his fleet to press forward despite the danger. The expression has since become a call to courage, determination, and resolve.
In the context of the Senate’s recent turmoil, however, the phrase takes on a troubling irony. It evokes leaders pressing ahead with their political objectives while paying little attention to the institutional consequences and the welfare of the very people entrusted with keeping the Senate functioning.
In war, such determination may inspire victory. In politics, it can become recklessness when leaders pursue factional interests without regard for the institutions they are sworn to serve and protect. When political conflict escalates to hostility and violence, the damage goes beyond wounded reputations and threatens the institution itself.
The recent upheavals unfolded with breathtaking speed. Leadership disputes, shifting alliances, public accusations, and the shocking shooting incident within the Senate complex dominated national attention. What is regarded as the nation’s chamber of statesmanship began to resemble a bar where brawls break out rather than a forum for reasoned deliberation.
The casualties are not merely reputational. The May incidents diminished the dignity of the Senate and destroyed public confidence in one of the country’s most important democratic institutions. Every public quarrel reinforces the perception that personal ambitions and factional interests have overtaken statesmanship and patriotism. Every day that the conflict continues deepens the frustration of citizens who expect their leaders to focus on inflation, jobs, education, public safety, and national security.
Perhaps the most overlooked victims of this continuing drama are the thousands of Senate employees who faithfully serve the institution regardless of which faction occupies the leadership.
These career personnel did not participate in the leadership struggles. They did not choose sides in the political battles. Their mission remains unchanged. They support legislative work, assist committees, process documents, maintain the facilities, and ensure continuity amid uncertainty.
Yet prolonged instability inevitably creates anxiety. Questions about assignments, budgets, morale, and institutional direction affect employees who simply wish to perform their duties and serve the public. The shooting incident introduced concerns about safety that few could have imagined within the halls of an institution regarded as a sanctuary of public service. Despite these challenges, Senate employees continue to serve with professionalism, loyalty and dedication.
As the saying goes, the ship does not sink because of the water around it. It sinks because of the water that gets in it. The Senate’s greatest danger today may not come from outside criticism but from the divisions within.
Scripture reminds us that “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” Success is achieved not by rushing forward recklessly but through wisdom, prudence and restraint.
The Senate is larger than any individual senator and older than any political alliance. It belongs not to today’s majority or minority but to the Filipino people and to future generations who will inherit the institutions we either preserve, weaken, or destroy.
Institutions do not collapse overnight but are gradually eroded when leaders place short-term victories above long-term stewardship.
The challenge before our senators is not merely to prevail in a political struggle but to prevent the Senate itself from becoming its ultimate casualty.
There is still time to reverse course. The Senate can recover its stature if its members choose dialogue over confrontation and loyalty to the institution over allegiance to factions. The nation seeks not victors and vanquished but leaders capable of restoring stability, dignity, and public trust.
Admiral Farragut’s famous command helped win a naval battle. Governing a republic requires different commands. Protect the institution. Respect the rules. Serve the people.
History remembers Farragut for charging through torpedoes to win a battle. Dear Senators, let history remember you not for the battles you waged against one another but for preserving the institution entrusted to your care. The nation needs fewer cries of “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” and more voices asking a simpler question.
“What course best serves the Filipino people?”
