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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Ledesma: Redeeming the Senate from shame
By Jun Ledesma
Sunbursts
SENATOR Franklin Drilon has been all over town appearing on giant TV and Cable networks to defend his tenure as Senate President, which was dubbed, even by his own colleagues, as lackluster and the worst in decades.
Drilon's worn out thesis: "The Senate during his watch defended democracy from plots and designs of those who tried to harm it." He asserted that he exerted every ounce of strength to defend the Senate from those who tried to diminish its powers or remove it from being an obstacle to authoritarian rule.
That was another piece of political oratory and pomp. It would have had meaning and significance had the Senate churned out at least a dozen piece of legislation. But no, the performance was so dismal. When one can count the laws, which a Senate passed for the whole year with the left hand fingers it's a wake up call for its abolition. There was nothing earthshaking that the Senate did but an unprecedented display of garrulity and infinite grand inquisition, which have not resulted to even just a bill draft.
Nothing was diminished in the Senate's power. The majority is the minority and the minority is the majority. In short it was a club of its own. Against its claims that Malacañang wants to control or diminish its powers, the Senate in fact stood its independent path. If Drilon perceived that there was a surreptitious move to collapse the upper chamber that move is not emanating from Malacañang but from the discontented mass. For who will be able to endure sustaining the existence of a legislative body that has become practically inutile and sterile?
So much time and money had been spent on investigation of the illegal "jueting" game. If you reckon by the flow of the probe it is as if "jueting" was the invention of the Arroyo administration. For while I personally thought that they will come up with a piece of legislation that would address the problem. But they did not. And then came the "Hello Garci" controversy. Again, it is as if cheating in this country where the Jurassic system of election is still in effect happened only in the most recent Presidential elections. I am not saying we should condone this anomaly. As Representative Benasing Macarambon said, if you are not there cheating someone will cheat for you. That's putting it lightly. If I read Macarambon right, what he meant was that all the candidates cheated their way to infamy. Macarambon was not alone in this confession. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile confessed of payoffs made by his colleague to buy votes!!
Ironically, those who condemn these shenanigans in the Senate are the very same characters who impede the Dick Gordon bill that should have modernized the electoral system in this country. The computerization may not be a panacea to the predilection of politicians to cheat but it sure can mitigate and ultimately discourage cheating.
Senator Manny Villar will take over the helm of the Senate from Drilon when the session resumes. His predecessor will not be a tough one to follow and therefore Villar can really shine. If Villar will adopt his corporate style of staying focus and achieving targets he still can salvage the reputation of the Senate from shame and inutility.
What ails this country is an overdose of politics. Even the catholic bishops are so enmeshed in politics and mania for grand inquisition they are neglecting to tend to a nation that has long been in dire need of a spiritual nourishment and encouragement.
BTW, Davao City will be featured in a super roadshow in Beijing as the new tourist destination in Asia. This will be on June 22 at the Beijing International Tourism Exposition. If plans won't miscarry I will be there, courtesy of Philippine Airlines, to chronicle the event and to touch base with media outlets and tour operators there.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (June 14, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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