MANILA, Philippines—No searing heat could stop them from wooing voters during an election campaign. But once in Congress, lawmakers apparently could not stay in a room with no air-conditioner even for just an hour or two.
For the second straight day, the House of Representatives canceled its thrice-a-week session after its maintenance crew failed to fix the air-conditioning system at the Batasan complex in Quezon City.
No windows
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that while the public would perceive the suspension of sessions negatively, there were practical reasons for the decision.
“The plenary hall has no windows,” Belmonte said. He also pointed out that the plenary sessions were just one aspect of a lawmaker’s work.
“The congressmen are still working in their offices and the committee hearings (held in buildings adjacent to the main Batasan building) are going on, such as the impeachment hearing,” he said.
Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said it would be a violation of labor and health laws for people to work in a space without ventilation or air-conditioners.
“The heat from the spotlight alone is hot. The public would not be able to withstand the heat and would be deprived of their right to observe our sessions,” Fariñas said.
Minority rebuffs excuses
But other lawmakers, especially those in the minority, rebuffed such excuses.
“Legislative work or public service for that matter should not be hampered by the lack of a cooling system. Physical discomfort is an inconvenience that can be withstood if only to fulfill one’s duties,” Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said in a text message.
Ilagan pointed out that while her peers could not endure this “temporary inconvenience,” most Filipinos worked under worse and more dangerous conditions with lower compensation.
“I would have willingly accepted the heat if only to give my sponsorship speech for the reproductive health bill,” Ilagan said.
Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay of Lakas party said she wouldn’t mind “holding sessions even under the mango tree because, as legislators, we should be flexible.”
Main casualty
The main casualty in the suspension of sessions was the start of the plenary debate on the reproductive health (RH) bill which was supposed to start Tuesday.
Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, the lead RH advocate in the House, considered the delay “fortuitous,” noting that this should further spur RH advocates to stand firm.
“This coincidence reinforces our advocacy and resolve to pursue the enactment of the reproductive health bill in order that pregnancy and development should not be left to the contingency of accidental events,” Lagman said.