Led by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, 10 senators from the so-called Solid Bloc 11 or SB-11 left the plenary hall in the middle of debates on the proposed rule amendment.
Members of the 11-member minority bloc stormed out of the Senate
plenary hall on Tuesday night, may 26, after Senate President Alan Peter
Cayetano’s majority attempted to “railroad” an amendment to the
chamber’s rules to allow members to attend sessions remotely – assailed
as a way to allow Sen. Ronald dela Rosa and detained senators to
participate in proceedings.
Led by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, 10
senators from the so-called Solid Bloc 11 or SB-11 left the plenary hall
in the middle of debates on the proposed rule amendment.
Raising his voice against colleagues, Sen. Erwin Tulfo questioned the motive and method of the majority to approve the motion.
“Why
are we in such a hurry, why are they the majority in a hurry to tackle
this motion and divide the house? We need answers. Or is it because
they’re in a hurry because of news reports that probably two of our
colleagues might land in jail this weekend? Is that why?” Tulfo said,
referencing Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, whom the
ombudsman said could be facing plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan
soon.
Gasps and groans erupted when Tulfo said this, forcing Sen.
Jinggoy Estrada to stand from his seat smiling uncomfortably as he
walked towards the desk of Sen. Bong Go, where he was met and comforted
by majority colleague Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who rubbed his back.
Afterwards,
Zubiri started rounding up his colleagues from the minority, yelling
“let’s go! let’s go! We will not participate in this debate anymore!”
This
was when Senators Bam Aquino, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros,
Sherwin Gatchalian, Panfilo Lacson, JV Ejercito and Erwin Tulfo walked
out of the plenary.
Senators Raffy Tulfo and Lito Lapid were no
longer in the session hall at the time of the walkout, but Minority
Leader Vicente Sotto III stayed to argue that the plenary no longer has a
quorum and should therefore be adjourned.
After a few minutes of
debates with Sens. Rodante Marcoleta and Alan Peter Cayetano, Legarda,
who was presiding, adjourned the session.
The walkout was preceded
by lengthy debates regarding the amendment to Senate Rules that seeks
to allow senators to attend sessions remotely – a motion introduced on
May 11 – the day Dela Rosa apprared at the Senate for a leadership coup.
There
were no debates at the time as there were no members of the minority
during the plenary session when the motion was introduced by Marcoleta
on the floor. Minority members were not in the plenary following the
coup on Sotto.
However, members of the minority like Lacson and
Hontiveros said they would question the motion if it is returned to the
plenary for debates.
‘Focus on trial’
Senators
should stop their dilly-dallying on pursuing the trial of impeached
Vice President Sara Duterte, Rep. Jude Acidre (Tingog party-list) said
on Tuesday.
“Our challenge to the Senate, and with all due respect
to our friends in the Senate, is for them to focus their attention on
the facts, on what will happen to the impeachment trial because that is
what they should be resolving right now,” Acidre, chairman of the House
committee on higher and technical education, said.
“So, whatever
leadership crisis they may have, or whatever political crisis they have
there, we can all put that in the right context once the basis of
evidence has been laid out. They should not be sowing fears to Filipinos
about conspiracy theories and what not,” he stressed.
“We’re
quite frustrated, we’re quite disturbed in the Senate itself, it has
become fashionable to accuse before you present proof,” he said,
apparently referring to Sen. Imee Marcos’ virulent privilege speech
wherein she accused colleagues in the minority – without presenting
evidence – of trying to revive Charter change.
After being called
out by minority senators for mouthing disinformation, Marcos agreed to
strike out a video that accompanied her privilege speech.
Acidre
stressed that accusations made in the legislative chamber should be
based on evidence, not insinuation. “And part of that is to be truthful.
Part of that is to make sure that when you make accusations, they’re
grounded on evidence,” Acidre emphasized.
“Our politics, our
personal preferences, even our own personal stance… are all subservient
to the institution that we represent. That is perhaps the best reminder
to us. We don’t own Congress. We’re just stewards of whatever power or
responsibility there is,” he added.
The House leader said
accountability applies to all lawmakers when the bounds of proper
parliamentary conduct are crossed. “I think whether it’s Senator Imee or
it’s Congressman Kiko Barzaga, I think all of us have to be
accountable,” he pointed out.
Both senators and House members,
Acidre maintained, should use the proper channels when they believe a
boundary has been crossed. “It behooves every individual member of
Congress to make sure that when you stand there, the privilege comes
with certain responsibility,” he said.
“For us, especially the
younger ones, when we live in a world of social media that people are
very responsive, you’re more aware that there are lines you do not cross
because there is a higher institution that you must uphold,” he
explained. – With Delon Porcalla