When one looks deeply at current goings-on at the Philippine Senate, one wonders what has happened to this highly respected institution of great minds, noble hearts and grand vision.
It seems to me this latest fast turnover of leaders at the Upper Chamber merely indicates that practical politics has once again reared its grotesque influence and undeniably won over what we use to admire to be its high moral ground and stature as a people’s podium and repository of legislative wisdom worthy to be considered the cradle of presidents in a democracy like ours.
This newest rigodon from Zubiri to Escudero is nothing new. In the past, many such happenings did occur, validating long held public perception that the transactional model of governance still dominates, not our lofty idea of a hallowed august chamber of decent, respectable men and women of virtue, integrity and trustworthiness.
I have high respect for some individual solons who soldier on their lawmaking missions, but it has become apparent that the politics of convenience do not augur well for our view of what ought to be the highest paragons of virtue in the field of political leadership and our country’s helmsmanship.
Why will Escudero for instance declare that one of his priority will be ending the Senate hearing on the so-called PDEA Leaks against the current sitting president, if he is not an avowed ally of the latter? Where will legislative independence be in this equation now?
I too have serious issue with legislators who profess to be genuinely independent-minded yet would hide their assess under the convenient alibi of supposedly placing themselves ‘at the service and confidence of their colleagues,’ of presumably courting the interest of the powerful majority in that chamber fearful of further incurring the ire of the powers-that-be and their cohorts.
I strongly detest senators who pretend to be freethinkers and fiscalizers who will fearlessly go against the tide of popular views yet who epitomizes double standard, to the extent of shedding ‘crocodile tears’ for a colleague whose back he has just inflicted a lethal blow from his dagger by calling for a colleague’s ouster.
Indeed, what has happened to this August chamber?
Is this not the very same assembly that saw the rise in the past of political heavyweights the like of Recto, Tanada, Roco, Marcos, Aquino, and a myriad other shining stars who presided over debates on much more critical national issues like the US bases in the country but who today can not even gather their wits and courage to draft a truly courageous stand on the West Philippine Sea to guide the Chief Executive in defining our country’s unified stance in that choppy and tumultuous waters?
Isn’t the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines the veritable training ground for future Philippine presidents?
And why is this chamber (and so with the Lower House) still enamoured with the idea of utilising legislative hearings to pillory perceived political foes and detractors by haranguing them via grandstanding in the guise of crafting relevant legislations?
I certainly commisserate with ousted Senate President Migz Zubiri who called the whole ouster drama as surreal and too hard to process and to comprehend.
He might have forgotten the reality that he belongs to an institution whose unwritten code is protecting their own kind and their ilk via the strength of numbers.
He might have forgotten his history as well: That even on final minutes, politicians can very easily shed their political shirts like dirty linens to be able to wear an earlier enemy’s banner obviously for political expedience, not lofty aspirations especially since it is an unchanged axiom that in politics (read: governance), there are really no permanent friends nor enemies, only permanent interests, so scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours, as well.
Even this recent episodes of political party gathering, conventions and alliance-building are testaments indeed that political turncoatism is still very much prevalent nowadays, much like in the past.
Our recent experience with political realignment speak volumes about the maturity or the lack of it of our political party system in the country today.
When new alliances are formed by a reconfiguration of manpower, resources and strategies, let us not be surprised if unfriendly local chief executives or non-aligned erstwhile key government technocrats get the axe and get relieved on the mere pretext that they no longer enjoy the trust and confidence of those who wield the levers of power – this despite the clear security of mandate granted by law upon the government functionary sought to be booted out from office obviously for being an appointee of the previous regime.
In the days ahead leading to the 2025 and 2026 political exercises, let us prepare for more surprises.
