Imee says ‘Bato’ just deeply emotional on Senate issues
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday described Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as “deeply emotional” after the latter admitted feeling like a minority in the chamber for always losing when voting on issues tackled in the Senate.
“Binibiro nga namin si Bato kasi nga madamdamin yun…Eh sabi namin madalas talagang nangyayari yan hindi lamang sa Senate kundi sa Congress, minsan yung [malapit sa] admin eh talagang kulang sa boto sa iba’t-ibang chambers. Talagang nangyayari,” Marcos told reporters when asked about Dela Rosa’s sentiment.
(We are actually kidding Bato because he’s so emotional. We said that those kind of things really happen not only in the Senate but in Congress as well, sometimes even those who are close to the administration lack the numbers in voting in different chambers. That really happens.)
Dela Rosa, in an earlier interview with the reporters, lamented how the majority bloc seems to “always lose” when voting on certain issues in the Senate.
This after a Senate resolution seeking clarification with the Supreme Court on the chamber’s role on scrapping agreements and treaties was adopted by the Senate on Monday. This after the unilateral withdrawal of President Rodrigo Duterte from the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Marcos, Dela Rosa, and five other administration-allied senators abstained from voting on the resolution.
Twelve senators voted in favor of the resolution.
“We love Senator Bato because he is so transparent, authentic and deeply emotional, I think kaya nga natin love siya kasi ganon siya eh,” she said.
“Alam naman natin si Senator Ronald e hindi naman politiko yan. Sabi nga namin sa kanya ‘Ganyang talaga yung buhay politiko, masanay ka na, dear,’” she added.
(We know Senator Ronald is not a politician. We told him that the life of a politician is like that, so get used to that, dear.)
Asked whether she shares the same feelings as Dela Rosa’s, Marcos said: “Di naman” [not actually].
“Kasi for example, Sonny Angara, he campaigned naman with the HNP [Hugpong Ng Pagbabago] but he voted on his own conscience as well for the resolution of the Senate President [Vicente Sotto III] and Senator [Franklin] Drilon,” she said.
“If truth be told, I hardly take anything that occurs in the Senate personally. Trabaho lang to eh [This is just a job],” she further said.
