Padilla hits back at Drilon: ‘New Senate members are taking jobs seriously’

Senator Robin Padilla (L) and former Senate President Franklin Drilon (PRIB)

Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla asserted that the new members of the Senate are doing their respective jobs with utmost civility and seriousness.

In a statement issued Saturday, Padilla stressed that the “new Senate is not taking its job lightly.”

“Ang Senado po ngayon ay hindi nagpapatawa dahil ang minana namin na suliranin ng bayan mula sa mga nagdaan na kagalanggalang at honorable senators ay hindi katatawanan. Seryosong pamana ito na dapat hinaharap [nang] may positibong pananaw,” said Padilla.

(The Senate is not trying to be funny because we inherited many problems facing the nation from the honorable senators who came before us. These are serious problems that need solutions.)

This was after former Senate President Franklin Drilon called on the new members of the chamber to act properly, especially during committee hearings or sessions, pointing out that some senators “lack decorum.”

Meanwhile, Padilla likewise underscored that current senators who seem “noisy” are only doing their jobs, reiterating that it is neither a violation of law nor defiance of the rules of the Senate.

“A senator giving inputs during a session is not a violation but a parliamentary procedure allowed by the rules of the Senate. A senator who talks to his or her constituents is not a liability but a humble fulfillment of obligations,” Padilla furthered.

JMS