Be humble, undertake researches, review or study rules of the 24-member Senator and review the traditions of the 24-member Senate and you can go no wrong.
These, among others, were the unsolicited advice of outgoing Senate President Vicente Sotto III and outgoing Senator Panfilo Lacson to new senators.
There are three incoming senators--actor Robin Padilla, broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo and former public works secretary Mark A. Villar.
Lacson and Sotto lost in the May, 2022 presidential and vice presidential race. The two veteran legislators bow out of office near noontime on June 30.
‘’Syempre mahalaga yun sapagkat ang pinakaimportante muna ay know your place, pakiramdaman mong mabuti ang sitwayson sa senado wag munang sugod ng sugod (It is important for one to know his place. Have a feel of the situation in the Senate and do not rush),’’ Sotto said during an interview by Senate reporters who were feted with a ‘’farewell dinner’’ by the Lacson-Sotto tandem.
‘’Sabi nga namin mas magandang makinig ka muna, magaral ka practice due diligence. makukuha mo ang tamang pulso kung ano ang dapat kilos ng isang senador at ang galaw ng senado (We have said that it is better to first hear, study and practice diligence..get the pulse on what a senator should do),’’ he pointed out.
‘’Hanggat maaari iwas muna unless ika nga ay kabisado mo ang isyu na tatayuan mo. kasi whether you will interpellate or you will be interpellated (And much as possible, don’t debate unless you have a grasp of the issues because if you interpellate, you get interpolated). Kailangan kabisado mo ang isyung pinag uusapan, always in a debate (Always know the issues). I learned this through college in a debate the one who excels is the one who is prepared, kung sino ang prepared dun sa issues yun ang mamamayani sa mga debate. so kung basta na lang sasabak ka sa isang debate na di mo naman pulso di mo kabisado baka madapa ka ng maaga (The one who knows the issues get the upperhand in debates and you might trip or fall in a debate if you don’t get the pulse),’’ he added.
When asked what advice he would give to the new senators, Lacson said he does not want to be presumptuous.
He recalled Sotto advising him and other neophytes in the early 2000s not to stand up just for the sake of standing.
‘’Makiramdam muna kayo, maupo muna kayo, magmasid, mag-observe, makiramdam (Get the feel, sit down, observe). Huwag tayo ng tayo at baka mapahiya. Kailangan you should learn the ropes so to speak the proper way (Don’t stand up or you might be embarrassed),’’ he added.
‘’Humility is a virtue. Pagka bagong senador ka (if you are a new senator) be humble, be modest and try to learn the art of legislation...kasi di ganoon kasimple (because it is not that simple),’’ he added.