President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed concern over recent developments in the Senate, saying debates have increasingly become personal rather than issue-based.
Marcos on Senate Discourse
Marcos, a former senator, said he has observed a shift in Senate discourse away from professional deliberation.
“Very [concerning]. I watched with horror that the Senate has become this,” he said in a media interview in Tokyo, Japan, recalling his earlier discussion with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, also a former senator.
“Of course, the only basis for comparison that I have is the time that I was in the Senate. And I never imagined that the Senate would descend into this kind of what's happening right now,” he added.
He lamented that the tone of current Senate deliberations has apparently changed.
“The Senate is no longer like it was in our time. Because it has become personal. It has turned into personal attacks. The discussions have become shallow,” Marcos added.
Past Senate Deliberations
He recalled that past Senate deliberations were marked by intense but respectful exchanges. He said that even heated debates during plenary sessions were not taken personally.
“There were senators that when we were discussing work matters, we really did not agree. Then someone would stand up and interpellate. And those interpellations were really tough, well-studied, and no-holds-barred,” he said.
Marcos said legislative discussions should remain focused on public service and work, not personal conflicts.
“It’s about work. It’s not about personalities,” he said.
Shooting Incident and Fugitive Issue
Marcos also expressed dismay over the “fake” shooting inside incident inside the Senate premises while Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa was still under the Senate protective custody. Dela Rosa is facing arrest by the International Criminal Court due to drug war killings that happened while he was still the country’s top cop under the Duterte administration.
Marcos called on the senators to restore professionalism in the chamber.
“The Senate is now sheltering fugitives from justice. How did that happen? I don't understand how a Senate is supposed to function if those are the kind of things that the Senate is embroiled in. I hope they figure it out soon. I really do,” he said.
