Many remember Senator Franklin Drilon who oftentimes was slouched on his chair and was on dreamland. Dozing off is no crime. It cannot be help. It is involuntary. Anyway give it to him, he was a senator who was more qualified than most. Last week, he criticized the current senators for lack of decorum. Maybe he was pissed off when he saw Senator Robinhood Padilla combing his mustache while the plenary was ongoing. Reactions flowed. Feeling alluded to, Padilla declared ‘we are noisy but we are not sleeping on the job’. (Only combing the mustache and trying to be a stand up comedian. (Ganoon ba ang sukat ikilos ng isang senador?)
I can’t fully understand by until the Filipino voters keep sending square pegs in the hallowed halls of an institution reserved for the intellectuals, statesmen and patriots. Don’t our people miss senators the likes of Miriam Defensor Santiago, Nene Pimentel, Blas F. Ople, Joker Arroyo and Juan Flavier? And earlier, there were members of the upper house like Arturo Tolentino, Ambrosio Padilla, Lorenzo Tanada, Lorenzo Sumulong, Gil J. Puyat, Raul Manglapus, Roseller Lim, Alejandro Almendras, Benigno Aquino, Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Helena Benitez, Eva Estrada Kalaw and more.
The senate is one of the enduring political institutions which started in Rome. As I said more than five hundred years earlier names like Caius Bruttius,Orestes, Marcus, Cicero and those brilliant men in white robes argued and debated passionately with the best interest of Rome at heart. No nincompoops. And there were no PDAF or pork barrel in those ancient times. And in this modern times, the so-called SOPs which in reality is kickback draw popular figures like movie stars, athletes, TV and radio personalities to vie for a senate seat. None discerning voters, the masa, placed them there.The voters should be careful in electing persons who are not supposed to be there and yet draw salaries, pork barrel in hundreds of millions of pesos and enjoy perks and privileges underwritten by our taxes. Taxes which are suppose to build, roads, ports, schools much needed infrastructures and huge amount for food security
NOTES: The motorists difficulty in negotiating the stretch from Barangay Telebastagan in the City of San Fernando up to its city proper may soon be over. Last week Third District Congressman Aurelio ‘Dong’ Gonzales called me up as a reaction to an article I wrote about the sad state of the road. He promised he will do something about it. As senior deputy speaker, I firmly believe that he can fast rack it... Meanwhile, motorists in Angeles City are applauding Congressman Jonjon Lazatin for the repair and asphalt overlay of almost all main roads. Asphalt overlays were also done in Mabalacat City.