Legislatures in democracies are nicknamed ‘August chambers’ harking back to olden times when nobles held court in palaces, exclusively holding the reins of governance while their subjects stood in awe at the wisdom and stately behavior of blue bloods.
Influenced as we are by such western constructs, Filipinos are used to having the Senate and the House of Representatives as August chambers with our elected representatives presumably championing our interests.
No longer.
This was vividly on show yesterday when the Senate convened as a Committee of the Whole to consider the finding that Senator Manny Villar, one time House Speaker and Senate President, should be cited for unethical behavior and conflict of interest over that C-5 road extension project.
True to form, Villar again chickened out of the session.
He left his loyal lieutenants, errr allies, to defend him.
Never mind if they individually, and collectively, dishonored the Senate itself.
Senator Aquilino Pimentel, himself a former Senate President, stood out as a wisecracking embarrassment as he jousted against Sen. Mar Roxas:
Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II:
My name was mentioned in the context that we are ganging up, that this is all political, that we are using insertions, when he (Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano) said in a blanket statement that we had insertions. I say no. I had no insertion on any matter. In fact, I have no insertion, period. Because we’re in the minority! Let alone an insertion for a road to pass through any such property.
Sen. Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel:
Well, well, I am sure that after your marriage, you had some insertions.But that may be different.
Roxas:
That is an affront on my wife (Korina Sanchez), Mr. President!
The Nacionalista Party president and standard bearer deliberately missed the session, preferring to recycle his alibi before reporters:
Senator Manny Villar: Ayoko munang magsalita. Ang ayoko lang yung didiktahan ako kung kelan ako magsasalita at kung ano ang aking sasbaihin. Walang makakapagsabi sa akin kung kelan ako dapat magsalita at kung ano ang sasabihin (I will not speak for the meantime. I cannot be dictated when and what to say).
Anytime naman handa akong sagutin yan pero sa labas, sa tao. Kasi dito sa komite, e wala naman akong makukuhang katarungan ditto (I am always prepared to answer questions in public. I will not be afforded any justice. The Liberal Party leaked the draft report of the Senate committee of the whole that recommended my censure.
The facade of support behind Mr. Villar is starting to crack:
Bayan Muna party list Rep. Satur Ocampo:
Wina-warningan namin sya baka nga maging ganon, kung pababayan nyang mabitin ‘to, kung hindi nya haharapin sa Senado [We are warning him of this possibility if he would let the Senate proceedings hang and he refuses to face it]. “Gagamitin ng ibang parties. Maka-capitalize ng Liberal Party yon. Yung kanilang campaign lang, malinis na gobyerno, wala kaming bahid, hindi kami nagnanakaw, mga ganon, yan patalbog kay Villar eh.
Yun ang single issue na magiging pabigat sa kanya, dapat harapin nya. Yun ang aming advice.
Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros: (on Villar’s “obstructionist” stance on the C5 report)
It is not just unbecoming of a senator, a former Senate president at that, but is also very much unpresidentiable. Nakakahiya na umiiwas ka sa isang kaso na kinasasangkutan mo, lalo na’t tumatakbo ka bilang isang president.
The zarzuela at the Senate will continue in the next days..
But Filipinos should no longer expect anything worthwhile from the show.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Stonewalling is a skill, and hollow-blocks in the Philippines are cheap.
Joe
Walang nang mabuting gawin kundi isara na lang ang senado, at isunod ang batasan. Sa dami ng batas na hindi naman naipatutupad, pwede nang magpahinga muna sa paggawa ng bago. Kaya ang P10 bilyon na pork barrel at sweldo pa nila, pwede nang gamitin para sa may kabuluhang bagay. Halimbawa, magpapatayo ng mga housing na mababa ang upa o hulog para sa
mga squatters, at hindi na uli papayagang matira kahit saan na lang, lalo na sa ilalim ng tulay. Magtatayo ng mas maraming gusaling paaralan, para hindi na isangdaang magaaral ang tinuturuan ng guro, gagawing 25 na lang ang laman ng bawat kwarto. Magpapatayo ng mga makabagong ospital, para hindi na siksikan sa PGH at Jose Reyes Memorial ang mahihirap na pasyente, di na sila magmumukhang nasa koral ng baboy, at magkakaroon na sila ng sariling kama, kumot at unan na walang amoy, malinis, na walang marka ng natuyong dugo. Dadamihan at pagdudugtong-dugtungin ang mga MRT at LRT at kung ano pang RT, para hindi na nasusulok sa usok ng bus ang mga sumasakay. Ibabawal na ang chemical fertilizer at isasara na rin ang Rice Research Institute at ang lahat ng nabubulok na dumi ay iipunin para gawin organic fertilizer para naman makapagpahinga ang taniman at magsibalik uli ang mga dalag, hito, gurami at mga igat. Magtatayo ng condom factory at gagawing manedyer si Edcel Lagman para matuloy na ang kanyang magandang balak at pag nagreklamo pa ang mga pare, gagamit sa kanila ng garrote. Mahaba pa ang listahan ko, sa susunod naman ang iba. Dahil pakalat-kalat na sa kalsada ang mga senador at kongresista, at hindi na rin makapaligo at laging balisa, dahil wala nang madilihensya, kakasuhan natin sila ng “vagrancy” at ipakukulong sa Quezon City jail para matikman nilang magkaroon ng galis at sakit na beri-beri. Sa palagay ko titino na ang Pilipinas.
In contrast to the Senate, better things are taking place in Cebu’s provincial jail:
http://atmidfield.com/2010/01/27/of-dancing-jailbirds-and-shameful-senators/
ding,
i like it too. choreography was the best BUT…
the video has a negative and a positive view.
1. filipinos can do their best if managed , trained and lead by foreigners or
2. filipinos can be trained and may be able to enhance their talents with proper training.
i wont buy the DVD. youtube is good enough.
True, leytenian.
And when led by a corrupt President the moral fiber gets prporessively warped and destroyed…
INSERTION !!! i so love it. LOL
I’m not a Manny fan. He is definitely shady even before, during and after. Next Insertion topic please…
Coitus Interuptus…
coitus interruptus as technique against unplanned pregnancy…. still not approved — don’t teach mention it to high-school students and don’t do it, you horny dude you!
Hey, these bunch of Senators who are idiots were talking about “insertion”. Mar Roxas did it when he married Korina Sanchez, as claimed by Pimentel. Then, Enrile walked out. Followed by the depressive Defensor.
So, it is “Coitus Interuptus”. Dont be a prude!
Mr. Villar is hiding from the Senate Investigation. While his defenders.
Whom I call “a bunch of idiots”. Defended him for the C-5 controversy.
What a guy, this Villar. Afraid to face his acusers? ‘BAHAG ANG BUNTOT”.
“WALANG BAYAG.”
it is these events that discredit the house.
BTW, people in the cockpit are more honorable than those in the senate. The cockpit may be noisy, but people there have their word of honor. All bets are paid even if there is no signed promise to pay. In the senate, everyone promises and even signs a pledge, but seldom does anyone remember he did.