One of my favorite columnists, Alex Magno said and I quote: ‘For the most imaginable all eyes are on the Philippine Senate. The chamber has taken center stage in endless tragic-comedy…’
The gentleman from Porac whose lips are oftentimes sealed in one moment declared in the chamber’s session and unabashedly saying ‘ mahal kita’ directed to Senator Pia Cayetano. ( Weren’t in the past, the two were subject of a blind item?). And earlier Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ De La Rosa was chased by NBI agents. Then there was burst of gunfires, and a great escape. Puro kadramahan. Ano ang nangyayari sa senado, Diyos ko.!
Do our senators still deserve to be addressed’Honorable’? There’s the perception that most of the members of the upper house are thieves. 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, Raul Manglapus, Roseller Lim, Alejandro Almendras, Benigno Aquino,Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Helena Benitez, Eva Estrada Kalaw and more. I think you’ll say, NO COMPARISON.
RETRO: I had the opportunity to travel to Rome some years back and I was fascinated by the stories around the Roman senate which is one of the most enduring political institutions in Roman history. I roamed the streets of Rome in a Roman holiday and was awed by the magnificence of the Roman Forum which until today is still around surrounded by ruins of several buildings built even before Christianity was discovered. This is where more than five centuries ago high caliber senators of the Roman Republic assembled in their senate and deliberated Intelligently. Mediocrity had no place there.
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. Non discerning voters placed them there at the upper house.
And if the present crop that compose the Philippine senate today were already in that era, sans for few, the others will not qualify even to wash the feet of those men in white robes. This article maybe a good reminder that in any elections, the voters should be careful in electing persons who are not supposed to be there and yet draw salaries, pork barrel in tens of millions of pesos and enjoy perks and privileges underwritten by our taxes. Taxes which are suppose to build, roads, ports, schools and the much needed infrastructures. God save our country.
