Power of the Senate and the people’s voice

October 1, 2013
A crack in the relationship of Philippine Senators has surfaced and seemingly widens every day in the wake of the expose, the filing of plunder, malversation of funds and graft charges and now ongoing Senate investigation on the alleged multi-billion pork barrel scam.
While the next presidential election is still three years away, those perceived to be gunning for the highest posts in the nation under the opposition have been charged with plunder, the highest form of corruption in the Philippines. The opposition claims it is a scheme to eliminate them in the race. The charges put the administration senators suspect as collaborating in the process of elimination, thus providing an eerie atmosphere in the Upper Chamber of Congress. The same seems to be situation in the House of Representatives as administration allies have so far not been named in the complaints despite their being mentioned by whistleblowers and in audit reports and investigations.
In the Senate, its president, Franklin Drilon, took a whip from an administration ally, Senator Teofisto Guingona, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which is conducting an investigation on the scam in aid of legislation, for his (Drilon) to defer to the Ombudsman on the matter of inviting alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to its investigation. Guingona said he was perplexed with Drilon’s stance considering that he has subpoenaed the whistleblowers but not Napoles. This act is an attempt to undermine the powers of the Senate, a visibly irked Guingona said in the presence of Drilon himself and Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima during a hearing.
Guingona then issued a statement on the issue. “When witnesses are gagged and barred from appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and a subpoena for a vital resource person remains unsigned, I, as chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee, am duty-bound to defend the rules of the Senate and most importantly, to defend the Senate’s power pursuant to the Constitution,” the senator from Bukidnon stressed.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman insisted that the power of the Senate to conduct investigations in aid of legislation exists because of a clear and unequivocal Constitutional provision and the Supreme Court itself has, time and again, upheld this power. He added: “The separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branch is sacred to the survival of a true democracy. For as long as no encroachment in jurisdiction occurs, each branch must be allowed to exercise its power independently, without being chained to dilatory and baseless tactics.”
In a privilege speech before the Senate floor, former Senate President Protempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, one of those accused with plunder, implicated his other colleagues, who, he thought were being given a free pass by the administration.
Funny how a senator or anyone in his right mind would think that diffusing the issue of this pork barrel scam that exposed the highest degree of corruption and plunder in Congress would take away their guilt or that people would forget about their guilt. Whether it was a tactic to eliminate them from the presidential race or not, the fact still remains that they stole money, millions and for some, billions of pesos from the government coffers and thus, must be prosecuted immediately and meted the punishment they deserve.
More than the power of the Senate, the voice of the people must be raised in public outcry. Filipinos all over the world must come together in a much stronger protest. Let’s give Zero remittance a much bigger and extended push. When the money stops flowing in, see how those in power will listen.