The Senate of the Philippines remains as one of the most revered institutions in our country. On October 17, 2016, the Senate observed its Centennial Anniversary and this year it will turn 106 years old. It’s been a long time since the first Senate President, Manuel Luis Quezon, banged the gavel to start its first session ever. Its inaugural session was held in the big living room of Goldenberg Mansion near Malacañang, which used to be the residence of Admiral Patricio Montojo of the Spanish navy until 1898 when Montojo was defeated by Admiral George Dewey in the Battle of Manila Bay.
The Philippines was then an American colony with less than 10 million inhabitants. Now we are an independent nation composed of 109 million people and the Senate continues to serve the Filipinos as their foremost lawmaking body tasked to enact legislation that promotes our people’s welfare. Its contributions to our country’s political, economic and social development are inestimable and far-reaching. Over the years, the Senate has championed civil and political rights, pursued national interests and sovereignty, protected our citizens from the abuses of despotic rulers and promoted accountability of public officials.
Since the Senate became the upper chamber of our bicameral legislature pursuant to the Jones Law of 1916, great men and women have walked through its portals. They were illustrious personalities whose sterling performances in the halls of that august body had added color to the pages of our history. They were persons of courage, integrity and patriotism who inspired the youth to join public service. I’m certain that political observers miss the likes of Claro M. Recto, Juan and Lorenzo Sumulong, Jose P. Laurel, Quintin Paredes, Arturo Tolentino, Benigno Aquino, Jr., Lorenzo Tañada, Jovito Salonga, Mariano Jesus Cuenco, and others who had earned the title “Honorable”. The Senate serves as the training ground for national leadership. Many of our presidents gained national prominence and huge following as senators, which enabled them to leap to the highest position in government. Presidents Quezon, Sergio Osmeña Sr., Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Carlos Garcia, Ferdinand Marcos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III were all former senators.
The past has shown that even under the most perilous days in our history, the Senate’s undaunted members have remained faithful to their oath of office. When the Batasang Pambansa was shut down following the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, four serving senators were arrested and incarcerated. Senators Ninoy Aquino, Jose Diokno, Ramo Mitra and Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo were the first to be rounded up immediately after Martial Law was promulgated. This was a tacit admission by the ruling regime of the tremendous influence wielded by the powerful senators on our people. But this dastardly act did not stifle their dissenting voices. When Aquino was assassinated, a handful of courageous senators like Senators Lorenzo Tañada, Eva Estrada Kalaw and Salvador Laurel led the opposition against Marcos. Congress was shuttered but it only gave birth to the parliament of the streets, which sprouted around the country. And despite her imprisonment, Sen. Leila M. de Lima remains irrepressible and uncowed by power and continues to discharge her duties to the extent possible. You can expect that when absolute power is exercised by an authoritarian leader and his cabal, the Senate through its minority members stands up to tyranny and abuse. There will always be a senator who will denounce the depraved leadership who foist hardship and suffering on our people. It’s a lonely and desolate battle but the Senate through the years proved equal to our trust.
Outside of the presidential derby, the people’s focus of interest in the forthcoming elections is the senatorial contest. Twelve senators will be elected on May 9, 2022 who, together with the 12 incumbent senators elected in 2019, will constitute the 19th Congress of the Philippines. A total of 178 candidates filed their certificates of candidacy for senators but as of the last count a total of 64 candidates are on the official ballot after the Comelec has disqualified a number of so-called nuisance candidates. The official campaign period for senators will kick off next Tuesday, February 8. TV, radio, newspapers and the social media are now flooded with political ads endorsing candidates for senators. Woe to candidates running for the office who cannot afford the prohibitive costs of running political advertisements on TV and other forms of media. The major competing parties have their own senatorial slates, although some candidates that are considered “winnables” have been adopted by more than one political party. Who these sure winners will endorse for president when they campaign around the country will be a matter of great interest to us. How these common candidates will reconcile their position on issues where their adoptive presidential bearers differ will be a profound mystery to the voters. They flit and float like butterflies from one party to another betraying their lack of conviction or principles. Politicians with loose party loyalty demonstrate an utter lack of credibility and integrity. After the elections, they will be the first to turncoat and pledge their allegiance to the party in power. It’s the recipe that makes the Senate a rubber stamp of the new tenant in Malacañang.
It will be prudent of the adoptive candidates to stick to their chosen presidentiable and stay with one party during the entire campaign. Let the presidentiable and the party that adopted him or her campaign without the latter joining the former’s campaign sorties. Riding on the coattails of two or more rival standard bearers is the height of opportunism and self-centered politics. If we abhor turncoatism, with more reason that we should reject opportunism. We want to send to the Senate candidates who advocate principled politics over opportunist politics. We endorse aspirants who cast their political fortune with a presidentiable they fully support and believe in; senatorial bets who have clear vision and platform of government consistent and aligned with their chosen presidential bet. Choosing a president is not a horse race where one is allowed to place bets on several horses. The field is wide and there are independent senatorial bets whose character and qualifications can match, if not surpass, comebacking politicians who don’t have solid track records.
Let’s not have a repeat of the 2019 senatorial election where the entire Otso Diretso, known as the Oposisyon Koalisyon, slate was walloped by the administration ticket. It’s not healthy for our democracy. With the departure of opposition stalwarts Senators Frank Drilon and Kiko Pangilinan and other independent senators such as Ralph Recto and Panfilo Lacson from the Senate, we need to reinvigorate the Senate by electing new blood and principled candidates to the 19th Congress. Let’s keep the Senate a venerable institution worthy of our respect.