Senate gives way to youth, women

MANILA, Philippines—The women and the youth are taking over the Senate.

“The emerging likely 12 senatorial winners have an average age of only 46 versus 60 for the next 12 who are almost 50-percent older than the winners. Clearly, a most compelling difference that may at least manifest an energized youth base supposed to account for 54 percent of the total voting population,” Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said.

“Younger? Yes. Hopeful? Yes. Revolutionary? No,” Salceda said in an e-mail last week before the 12 winners were proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). He explained that he did not expect a dramatic shift from the current system in the Senate.

The oldest in the batch is Gregorio Honasan at 65 years old; Cynthia Villar is 62; Loren Legarda is 53; Aquilino Pimentel III is 49; Grace Poe is 44; Francis Escudero and Joseph Victor Ejercito are 43; Alan Peter Cayetano is 42; Antonio Trillanes IV is 41; Nancy Binay and Juan Edgardo Angara are 40; and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV is 36.

The average age of the 12 senators with three years remaining is 60 years old, with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile the oldest (88) and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada the youngest (45).

Salceda said he expected “higher standards of governance from this possibly post-World War II, youngest batch of senatorial winners.”

“Given their educational background and their social media savvy, this batch of senators should be better steeped in the global domain of ideas as well as in the realities and aspirations of the local communities. The youthfulness of the new batch of senators will lead to a more forward-looking impulse in the heart of national policymaking,” he said.

The incoming group will raise female representation in the Senate to six, or a quarter of the 24-member roll with Poe, Legarda, Binay and Villar, and incumbents Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Pia Cayetano.

Angara was optimistic about the fresh composition in the Senate. “Hopefully, it will help in the mediation of personal and professional disputes, as well as result in greater efficiency in the discharge of legislative work,” he said.

“Diversity is welcome in an institution that is meant to represent all Filipinos. As the youngest to possibly enter in this next batch of senators, it is a huge responsibility to be the voice of the largest sector in the Philippines today,” Aquino said.

“I expect a vibrant Senate and a colorful and exciting one, full of idealism, vigor and enthusiasm to work for the country,” Escudero said.

Navotas Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco of the United Nationalist Alliance said it was hard to speculate on how the new dynamics in the Senate would turn out.

“Let’s see and hope for the best. The most important thing is they show their independence,” Tiangco said.