GROUP PICTURE Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri thanks his colleagues during the marathon session early morning Wednesday, May 31, 2023, following the passage of Senate Bill No. 2020 or the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Bill. (Joseph B. Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Former Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday urged the current leadership to restore its prestige and credibility.
Drilon said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri “must draw the line” by showing “displeasure with what’s happening” in the chamber.
“With all due respect, and I hope my former colleagues are not onion-skinned, I’m compelled to comment on what the public perceives to be an erosion of the prestige of the Senate as an institution, principally brought about by what is perceived to be the lack of decorum on the part of certain senators,”’ he told reporters.
“You know, people look at the Senate as an institution… But the fact is, undeniably, the perception of the Senate by the public has been eroded by what has been observed as the lack of proper decorum,” he said.
Drilon was also asked about the quality of service of incumbent senators, but he refrained from making any statement.
He said he was just sharing his own impression on what is happening in the chamber.
“I’m just making a comment on what I see today… that I observe in the session hall and in the committee hearings,” he said.
Drilon observed, having a “very noisy session” is just one example of lack of decorum.
Though it was also a problem during their time, Drilon said they would usually move to “adjourn the session at the back””— an apparent reference to what senators would politely say to fellow lawmakers who were making noises while sessions were ongoing.
Asked then what the current leadership should do, the former senator said Zubiri must set the rule.
“He must draw the line because upholding and restoring the prestige of the Senate is a burden on his shoulder. Therefore, yes, he must see to it that the trust of the people in the Senate as an institution remains high,” Drilon went on.
“Show displeasure with what’s happening. I don’t want to lecture on him. He knows what it takes. What’s important is that he should realize, and I’m sure he does, that this kind of situation, you can’t go on,” he advised Zubiri.
“The burden is really on the Senate President and the Senate leadership to make sure that the prestige of the Senate and the credibility of the Senate is maintained,” the former legislator said.
Drilon further underscored the importance of maintaining the prestige and effectiveness of the Senate “in order that the system of check and balance would remain.”
“Because otherwise, if you weaken the Senate, the executive branch would run roughshod over the Senate,” he warned.
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