Bato dela Rosa camp: Teleconferencing 'immunizes the Senate from external politics'

Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa’s legal counsel, Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, backs moves to amend the Senate rules to allow lawmakers to participate in sessions via teleconferencing, which he says will "immunize the Senate from external politics."

“Ang gusto lang po namin ay to immunize the Senate from external politics,” Bondoc said in an interview on Balitanghali.

(All we want is to immunize the Senate from external politics.)

“Kapag pinayagan po sila na mag-attend via teleconference at least mawawala na po yung mga akusasyon ng iba, hinala pala na hinuhuli lang sina Senator Marcoleta, Bong Go, Jinggoy, Bato, etc. para lang hindi sila makaboto,” he added.

(If they are allowed to attend via teleconference, it will at least dispel the suspicions of some that Senators Marcoleta, Bong Go, Jinggoy, Bato, and others are only being arrested to prevent them from voting.)

Marcos disagrees

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday said he is against moves by the Senate majority bloc to amend the rules to allow senators to cast their votes online.

“I disagree with that. I understand that we had to do it during COVID because there was a health risk. But I do not see any particularly good reason for us to allow it now,” Marcos said in a press conference Friday on the sidelines of his state visit to Japan.

“It seems to only be applicable to Senator Bato (dela Rosa), para makaboto si Senator Bato dahil nagtatago siya,” he added.

Walkout

On Tuesday, debate on the matter in the Senate began when acting Senate Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva introduced a proposal by Senator Marcoleta seeking to amend Senate rules to allow teleconferencing in sessions.

The minority bloc later walked out of the session, questioning whether the push to amend the rules was linked to the absence of Dela Rosa and other senators facing legal cases who could potentially benefit from remote participation.

Rule XIV, Section 41 of the Senate Rules allows sessions to be conducted via teleconference, video conference, or other remote means due to force majeure or a national emergency, as determined by a majority of all senators.

The Malacañang on Wednesday said that no force majeure or calamity exists to justify its adoption. —VAL, GMA News