Senate minority: Online voting to benefit only a few senators

Several members of the Senate minority bloc on Wednesday said the apparent attempt to fast-track a major amendment to Senate rules allowing senators to participate remotely in sessions would benefit only a few lawmakers rather than serve the country’s interests.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said developments in the chamber have been frustrating, noting that several important bills remain pending on the Senate floor.

“Ang daming nakabinbin these past three weeks na mga panukalang batas. So, nakaka-frustrate. Tatlong linggo na kaming nagpapatintero sa floor sa mga isyu na pangunahing tungkol sa aming mga senador. Hello? Gawin na namin ang trabaho namin at unahin ‘yung ating mga kababayan,” she said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(There have been so many bills pending over the past three weeks. It’s frustrating. We’ve spent three weeks debating issues mainly concerning senators themselves. Hello? Let’s do our job and prioritize our countrymen.)

Hontiveros also questioned the motive behind the majority bloc’s apparent rush to allow senators to participate in plenary sessions online, citing the situation of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and other lawmakers facing legal cases.

Senator Erwin Tulfo, meanwhile, said the move was “unfair” because it would benefit only a handful of senators.

“Malinaw naman, nagbobolahan pa tayo… Eh alam naman namin na ito ay para doon kay Bato, ito ay para doon sa dalawang mahuhuli na mga senador na lalabasan ng warrant para maka-attend pa rin sa session habang nasa kulungan sila or wherever, pagkatapos pwedeng bumoto,” Tulfo said in an interview on Unang Balita.

(Obviously, why are we kidding ourselves? We know this is for Bato and for the two senators who may face arrest warrants, so they can still attend sessions while in jail or wherever they may be, and still vote.)

“Eh unfair naman ‘yun, binoto kami ng taumbayan mag-attend ng session diyan, dapat nandiyan ka,” he added.

(That’s unfair. The people elected us to attend sessions, so we should be there.)

Senator Panfilo Lacson also said the minority bloc’s walkout could be viewed as a “victory,” arguing that Senate rules favored their position.

“Senate minority walkout: We demonstrated how to score a victory by retreating. They may have superior numbers, but we have the rules on our side,” Lacson said in a post on X.

“When they in the majority play dirty, we in the minority will play it smart,” he added.

In a separate post on X, Lacson criticized Marcoleta for questioning Hontiveros’ supposed lack of legal background, noting that the issue at hand concerns the Senate’s rules, as Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III had pointed out.

“In a condescending tone, a colleague, who is a lawyer, took issue with Sen. Hontiveros’ lack of ‘legal background.’ I have a simple message — it’s the RULES, stupid!” Lacson said.

GMA News Online reached out to the office of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and will update this story once a response is received.

Minority senators on Tuesday blocked a vote on a motion to discuss in plenary a proposed amendment to Senate rules allowing remote participation after staging a walkout.

The heated debate began when acting Senate Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva introduced to the plenary a proposal by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, a member of the majority bloc, to amend Senate rules and allow lawmakers to attend sessions through teleconferencing.

Minority senators questioned the move, pointing out that while the proposal had been referred to the Committee on Rules, the panel has yet to be constituted after all committee posts were declared vacant following the election of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on May 11.

After saying both sides had already presented their arguments, Cayetano moved for the plenary to tackle the proposal, drawing strong objections from minority senators.

‘Tyranny of the majority’

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon also weighed in, calling the proposal a “tyranny of the majority.”

“Hindi po maganda itong rule na ito. Bakit po sila nagmamadali? Bakit nagmamadaling pagbotohan kahapon ang pag-amyenda ng patakaran ng Senado?” Drilon said in a separate dzBB interview.

(This rule is not good. Why are they in such a hurry? Why are they rushing to vote on the amendment to Senate rules?)

“Sa katunayan, naghihintay dapat ng report ng Committee on Rules. Hindi pa nabubuo ‘yung Committee on Rules; talagang ipinipilit na maipasa itong amyenda ng rules na kung saan mas mahigit sa 50 taon, to my recollection, itong rule na ito,” he added.

(In fact, we should be waiting for the report of the Committee on Rules. The committee has not even been formed, yet they are pushing for this amendment to be approved. To my recollection, these rules have been in place for more than 50 years.)

Drilon, a former justice secretary, said he believes the move is linked to the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Eh kung pwedeng bumoto kahit wala ka do’n sa session hall, ‘yun pong mga nakakulong ay pwedeng bumoto. ‘Yun pong nagtatago ay pwedeng bumoto. Eh kaya po pinagmamadali na ma-amyenda ang reglamento dahil hinahabol ang impeachment trial. Ito ay isang tyranny of the majority, ika nga, na panukala,” he said.

(If lawmakers can vote without being physically present in the session hall, then those in jail can vote. Those in hiding can vote. That is why they are rushing to amend the rules — because of the impeachment trial. This proposal is a tyranny of the majority.)

He also said the Supreme Court should intervene, arguing that what transpired constituted a “grave abuse of discretion.”—MCG, GMA News