Senate minority urges Congress, SC to ‘assert’ independence

Members of the Senate minority bloc on Monday called on Congress and the Supreme Court (SC) to “assert” their independence amid a “divisive political environment.”

“Now, more than ever, it is important for our democratic institutions to show their independence amidst the complicated and divisive political environment that we have today,” the six-member bloc said in their Independence Day statement.

The minority bloc is composed of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Paulo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Leila de Lima, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Risa Hontiveros.

“We will not be able to protect and serve our people if we do not preserve our independence and integrity as institutions of democracy,” they said.

The statement of the opposition senators also comes a day before the SC is set to hold oral arguments on the three petitions seeking to invalidate President Rodrigo Duterte’s imposition of martial law.

Two separate petitions were also filed before the SC urging it to compel Congress to convene in joint session on martial law, a move which House and Senate leaders have repeatedly opposed.

“As we celebrate our Independence today, let us breathe life to the liberties that were fought for us by our forerunners by defending the independence of our institutions and by keeping dissent alive in the face of tyranny,” Trillanes said.

Hontiveros, for her part, said that “independence and freedom will have no sense without democracy.”

“Our freedom can only be guaranteed by strong democratic institutions. I call on the public to honor the sacrifices of our heroes by opposing a Martial law declaration that is not compliant with the constitution. Let us always remember, the promised order of tyranny will never bring us to full democracy," she added.

Meanwhile, Aquino called on the public to continue to guard democracy in light of the proliferation of fake news and misinformation.

“In an era of fake news, rabid online persecution and weak political institutions, we need to fight for our democracy now more than ever,” Aquino said. — RSJ, GMA News