Getting elected does not make one a senator, therefore, neophyte senators should study hard and seek the advice of experts, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Thursday.

"Kailangan po mag-aral sila (They need to study)," Drilon said in an interview on ANC's Headstart.

"You must earn the respect of your peers first, the public second. Therefore, there's nothing wrong with studying and getting advice from experts in the field," the outgoing senator pointed out.

Drilon echoed Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri's advise to incoming Sen. Robin Padilla, who is eyeing the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes and Laws in the 19th Congress.

He pointed out the post requires legal knowledge and the senator must have had "exposure to the Constitution."

"Remember, it says Revision of Codes and Laws. This would refer to major laws like Civil Code, Revised Penal Code, all the codified laws and it’s not easy to do that," the veteran lawmaker explained.

"I don’t claim to know all of those but certainly to a neophyte senator who has had no exposure to these subjects he needs a lot of schooling," he further said.

Drilon also said neophyte lawmakers must at least be able to debate with their colleagues so they can come up with a most reasonable policy.

As a new lawmaker back then, the senator said he too had to study hard and listen first.

"I was quiet for the first few months trying to learn the traditions of the institution of democracy called the Senate. That was how I was able to get into the groove," he said.

"To those who are incoming, there's no substitute for studying and learning. Learning as we know is a never-ending process," he pointed out.

Drilon emphasized that even at the age of 76, he continues to read and learn new things.