Senator Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILES
In the midst of criticisms against the Senate, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday reminded his fellow lawmakers that the upper chamber is part of the checks and balances of the country’s democratic system, whose independence and integrity should be safeguarded.
Last week, House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez repeatedly called the Senate a “mabagal na kapulungan” (slow congress), for allegedly being slow in acting on important legislations.
“Ako’y nangangamba at nag-aalangan talaga dito. Ito’y mukhang kasama sa sustained at deliberate efforts na ipahiya ang Senado bilang isang institusyon in order to work for the abolition of the Senate and pave the way for a unilateral Congress which is preferred by the Congress,” Drilon said in an interview over radio dzBB.
“Pangalawa, ang Senado ay kasama rin sa checks and balances system of the democratic system of the government. Hindi ibig sabihin na naipasa ng isang kapulungan eh kailangan maipasa din ng kabilang kapulungan,” he added.
Drilon also stressed that since the Senate has always fought for its independence, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III should also “rise above partisan political interest.”
“We zealously guarded the independence of the Senate. Kailangan si Senate President Pimentel depensahan nya ang integridad at independence ng Senado,” Drilon said.
“He must rise above partisan political interest to defend the Senate regardless of his political affiliation. Otherwise, the Senate unfortunately becomes irrelevant as an institution of democracy or system of government,” he added.
On January 3, Pimentel defended the Senate against his party mate’s attacks. He asserted that the Senate had always believed in the mindset of “quality over quantity” when it comes to the deliberation and approval of proposed measures.
The Senate president also urged Alvarez to change his way of thinking, saying “Let us not judge lawmaking in terms of number of laws passed but in terms of how the laws we pass improve the quality of life on earth in general and the quality of life of Filipinos in particular.” /cbb
READ: Pimentel urges Alvarez to change mindset: ‘Quality over quantity’