Angara defends Senate from House ‘bullying’: ‘It’s almost every day now’

Senator Sonny Angara (File picture from Voltaire F. Domingo / Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines  — Senator Sonny Angara considers bullying the daily attacks by some members of the House of Representatives against the Senate over the issue of Charter change.

Unlike the House, Angara said the Senate has no time to hold a daily press conference to debate on the Charter change issue.

“I think it’s almost every day now. How many times is it in a day? Like Jimmy Santos, ‘I love you three times a day’ huh?” Angara said in Filipino, alluding to a line Santos made famous in a 1980s TV commercial for a fast-food chain.

His observation was followed by a hearty laugh during the “Kapihan sa Senado” on Thursday.

The senator was asked about the press conference conducted by some House members on Wednesday to respond to senators’ latest tirades against some congressmen.

“How many press conferences have they held already? We don’t have time to hold press conferences every day, to be honest. We have a lot of work,” Angara said.

The senator is leading the Charter change (Cha-cha) discussion in the Senate as chairman of the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments.

Though he agreed that rising above the Cha-cha issue would help both houses move forward, Angara said they would not keep silent when the Senate is under attack.

“When we are being attacked, we can’t just remain silent, right? That’s just self-defense. It’s an inherent right of every individual, every institution, to defend themselves,” he said.

“If you’re already being bullied, are you not going to respond? That’s not fair. Am I not the author of the Anti-Bullying Act in the House?” recalled Angara, who was a House representative before becoming a senator in 2013.

Asked if he thought the House was bullying the Senate, the senator replied: “It seems so. It appears to be that way.”

“Imagine, it’s like every day. Isn’t that bullying already? You go to the restroom, and there’s the bully again. You’re here again. You go to the cafeteria, buy some soft drinks, and here you are again,” Angara said.

“Isn’t it like we’re being attacked every day? Come on, guys. Let’s take a break. Time out, time out. Let’s work.”

A word war between the Senate and the House erupted after a people’s initiative was launched in a bid to amend the Constitution.

The Senate, in particular, rejects joint voting of Congress as proposed in the signature drive since the 24 senators could be easily outvoted by the more than 300 members of the lower chamber.