Drilon: Senate majority may have committed 'abuse' over virtual voting push

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday said the Senate majority may have committed “grave abuse of discretion” in pushing amendments to Senate rules to allow virtual participation and voting by senators.

“Mayroon po. Puwede pong i-akyat sa Korte Suprema dahil ang Korte Suprema sa ating Saligang Batas may kapangyarihan na ituwid ang grave abuse of discretion,” Drilon said in an interview on GMA Network’s Unang Balita.

(There was an abuse. It can be appealed to the Supreme Court because the Supreme Court in our Constitution has the power to correct grave abuse of discretion.)

Drilon said the motion of Senator Rodante Marcoleta on virtual participation was first referred to the Committee on Rules. However, the Senate panel was already abolished that time amid leadership change.

The Senate majority led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayateno took the proposal to the plenary, according to Drilon.

“Kaya po nag-walk out ang minority para po hindi magawa ng majority ang kagustuhan nila na hindi sang-ayon sa patakaran,” he said.

(That's why the minority walked out so that the majority could not do what they wanted, which is not in accordance with the policy.)

On Thursday, Senate minority leader Tito Sotto said that if the Senate fails to settle the issue on the remote participation, they will consider bringing it up to the Supreme Court.

Impeachment

Drilon, meanwhile, believes that the proposed virtual voting measure is linked to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

He described the proposal as the “Bato Amendment,” alleging it was intended to ensure Senator Ronald dela Rosa could still cast his vote remotely during impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

Drilon said the Senate majority-minority split was close and that Dela Rosa’s participation could become crucial in maintaining the majority bloc’s numbers.

He believes that possible subpoenas for bank records may become an important issue during the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, as such requests would require approval from the impeachment court.

Despite the controversy, Drilon defended the walkout by minority senators during deliberations on the proposed amendment, saying it was a legitimate parliamentary tactic.

“Kasama po sa parliamentary technique yan,” he said.

(It was part of parliamentary technique.)

Drilon said lawmakers sometimes leave the session hall to break quorum and prevent the majority from forcing the approval of measures.

He also reiterated that Senate rules have traditionally required senators to be physically present inside the session hall in order to vote, except during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergency situations.

He noted that even detained former Senator Leila de Lima was previously not allowed to participate in Senate voting virtually.

Public trust

The former Senate chief also lamented what he described as declining public trust in the Senate.

He said public perception of the Senate has worsened due to recent controversies and warned that the institution’s credibility may continue to suffer.

Drilon also advised Cayetano to strictly follow Senate rules and the law.

“Sundin po ang patakaran at ang batas. Tingnan kung ano po ang reaction ng taumbayan sa kanilang ginagawa sa Senado,” he added.

(Follow the policy and the law. See how the people react to what they are doing in the Senate.) —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA News