Osmeña seeks end to mud fight at Senate

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A “waste of time” was how Senator Sergio Osmeña III described on Wednesday the mudslinging among fellow senators.

“Nasasayang ang oras ng Senate (The Senate’s time is being wasted). I really feel we’re wasting time but at the same we’re providing entertainment so you guys have lots of stories for tomorrow,” Osmeña told reporters ahead of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s privilege speech in response to Senate Minority Leader  Juan Ponce Enrile’s  attack last week.

The wrangling, Osmeña said, was also “hurting” the image of  the  chamber.

“This doesn’t help the image of the Senate; it does not help legislation. If they wish to attack each other, they should go to the PIMRO and they will get the same amount of publicity anyway,” he said. PIMRO stands for Public Information and Media Relations Office.

Osmeña said he  would leave it up to the Senate leadership to take the necessary steps, pointing  out that the Senate President was supposed to keep order and decorum.

“Senate President (Franklin) Drilon I think knows what he has to do. Now, whether he will be successful in doing it is our guess and my guess,” Osmeña said.

He noted that there were comments by senators that were either out of line or offensives that should have been  stopped  by the Senate leader or through a motion by a fellow senator.

“So it’s up to the Senate President to exercise his discretion in determining or at the instance of a motion from a fellow senator to whether something is within bounds or out of bounds. So we are hopeful that Senator Drilon would be able to do that,” he added.

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