Where’s the ‘august’ in the ‘august chamber’?

Written by Kristan Gile — Beyond the Norms

The problem in the Senate is never the differing or opposing views of each chamber person. The elephant in the room is the senators elected who seemingly do not know what they are doing.

It is entirely normal for a parliamentarian house like the Senate to have a schism. It is typically divided into two: majority and minority groups. To ensure that the ruling majority’s power remains checked, the minority can become members of the committees. They also reserve their rights to manifest, vote, and express their criticisms and opinions in a privileged speech. In the middle of that divide, the senators always have retained their decorum and professionalism. That has always been the case for the Senate until populism wrecked havoc. 

Now, we have senators in the likes of Senator Robinhood Padilla. The senator remarked in a committee hearing in the chamber that the “youth is weak”, after having seen the suicide data. He said that the reports have suggested that the kids of the new generation are easily depressed unlike their generations who have grown thick skin. Ironically, the senator did not grow a thick skin as in his previous interview, he admitted to having suffered from depression in the past. The generation Zs have unearthed the video online to take a jab at him. Now, he had to swallow his own vomit for spouting those foolhardy remarks. 

The initial reaction, and I know it is shared among those who have the same despisement, “Who on earth gave this guy a place in this chamber?” Each senatorial office is given an appropriate budget for their staff and other miscellaneous expenses. That taxpayer money could have been spent in his office to research mental health issues and the reasons, from empirical studies, why the youth of today are experiencing depression, anxiety, and other related conditions. It is the least we expect from a senator who is in charge of policy making and legislation. How could mental health survivors depend on someone who is not even willing to inspect the real roots of the problem? Let alone, fix that dull, old-fashioned, unscientific, and terribly unfounded outlook on psychology?

To be fair, it is not only Senator Padilla who continues to strip off the parliamentary chamber’s augustness. Earlier this month, there was a resolution tackled on the floor regarding the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese Embassy in Manila has been unleashing their “wolf” diplomacy against the Philippines. Obviously, the reason is, none other than, the contested waters in the WPS. Some officials retaliated to China’s aggression by making them taste their own medicine. The retaliation is not militarily, but a caricature of the Chinese president Xi Jinping was enough to get the irk of the ambassador. China, being China, has thrown a word war to the Filipino officials and some senators. Then, the Senate wrote a resolution to urge the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take categorical actions towards the embassy’s “troll-like” behavior.

The resolution is a matter of debate since senators associated with the Dutertes have been in the pro-China stance. In actuality, nine of them voted against the resolution. It clearly shows that they cannot take a stand against China, perhaps, their employer? Why have they remained as senators when they cannot even represent the people they need to represent. They were not elected to parrot the arguments and propagandas of China, like what Senator Rodante Marcoleta has been doing. It is not his job to question the coordinates of WPS (which, by the way, the delineated territory of the Philippine waters has been long historically established). We are now left asking: for whom are they senators? Former presidential adviser for political affairs, Ronald Llamas have called these senators as “tsinators” to which, in my opinion, a befitting name for them than “senators.”

Another shameful phenomenon happening in the Senate is the unending threats of senate coup d’etat. After the leak of the draft Blue Ribbon committee report, the minority linked with the Dutertes attempted to change the leadership of the chamber. What does the draft committee report entail that these senators are eager to overthrow Senate President “Tito” Sotto III? Turns out, the report has the names of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, and Chiz Escudero. They were recommended for raps in the context of the flood control corruption fiasco. Since the names of these senators are implicated, other members of the majority withdrew their support hoping for some changes in the draft. It is too deplorable that an important committee report, like from the Blue Ribbon, is almost precluded for the reason that some of their colleagues could end up later in jail. Perhaps, protecting these implicated officials is more important than bringing truth to power. 

The Senate can have alternating and diverting views on issues, but their loyalties should remain to the country and the public. Clearly, the senators of today cannot claim their names to be associated with the augustness of congress. Gone are the days when officials in that chamber are actually knowledgeable and respectable. Back then, we witnessed chamber people arguing for the sake of the improvement of a policy or a legislation. Now, it is full of self-interest-driven officials delivering their privileged speech to protect their own interests. Our country is in abundance of politicians and in scarcity of public servants. The Senate has become a circus, even more comical than the actual one.

In the middle of this circus show, there are so many things that should have been prioritized. Firstly, the truth commission to punish the corrupt public officials and their cohorts who have swindled tax money under the guise of infrastructure development. Secondly, the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill that will inhibit the dynastical tendencies of political families in holding power. Thirdly, the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression, and Sexual Characteristics (SOGIE) Bill that has long been languishing in the legislative branch for more than a decade. There are other things worthy of the floor time and debates of the senators. But here we are, stuck with these officials who have forgotten their mandate—to create and pass laws beneficial to the populace.And for the nation’s sake, could we stop electing these people in power next time?