Win rebuts Imee’s Senate swipe

Senate President Win Gatchalian on Sunday pushed back against Senator Imee Marcos’ criticism that the chamber deserved a “failing grade” for passing only two of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 52 priority bills in its first year.

Gatchalian said every senator shares responsibility for the institution’s performance.

“She might as well get involved so we don’t fail because, after all, she’s part of it, too. We are all part of the same institution,” Gatchalian said in Filipino during a radio interview.

Marcos earlier likened the Senate’s legislative output to a failing mark in school, noting that only two administration priority measures had been enacted while the House of Representatives passed about half of the President’s legislative agenda.

She blamed the Senate’s poor performance on its unprecedented series of leadership changes, saying four leadership revamps in less than a year disrupted the chamber’s work.

The 20th Congress opened in June last year under Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero before Sen. Tito Sotto replaced him in September.

Sotto, in turn, lost the presidency to now-Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano in a surprise coup on 11 May, only to be unseated three weeks later by Gatchalian.

Boycott

The Cayetano bloc responded by boycotting Senate sessions for three days, describing Gatchalian’s takeover as an unconstitutional maneuver carried out without the required quorum.

The boycott stalled legislative work, including action on the President’s priority measures, while the leadership change also reset committee chairmanships and delayed hearings on pending bills.

Gatchalian acknowledged that political infighting contributed to the Senate’s sluggish output but said criticism alone would not improve its performance.

“We should all work together to ensure the President’s priority measures are passed,” he said.

Political observers have also pointed to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as another factor slowing the Senate’s legislative work.

The proceedings, expected to continue until November or even early next year, have reduced the time available for regular lawmaking.

Marcos likewise criticized the Senate for allowing the impeachment trial to dominate its agenda, saying about P25 million in public funds is being spent daily while priority legislation remains pending.

Public dissatisfaction with the Senate has also risen.

Trial woes

A June survey showed dissatisfaction climbing to 56 percent from 35 percent in March, while 73 percent of respondents said their trust in the institution had declined following recent political developments.

Gatchalian said the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council is scheduled to meet Friday to finalize the administration’s priority measures, with economic and business legislation expected to top the agenda as the country grapples with slowing growth, high inflation and continued tensions in the Middle East.

He also acknowledged that the impeachment trial could complicate deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget because senators have only two days each week to conduct committee hearings while the Senate sits as an impeachment court.

“The sooner we can finish the impeachment, the better because we can return to the legislative function of the Senate,” Gatchalian said.