Philippine Senate
Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla emphasized on Saturday, June 17, that the “new” Senate is not taking its job lightly as it looks for solutions to address problems facing the nation. The movie actor-turned senator issued the statement following recent criticisms that members of the current Senate were not “honorable-looking". Former Senate President Franklin Drilon had earlier expressed concern about the supposed deteriorating Senate prestige as an institution after some senators were supposedly lacking in decorum. Drilon, also a former justice secretary, also criticized what he called “a very noisy Senate session” as well as the use of expletives by some senators during committee hearings or sessions. He has appealed to Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and his fellow senators to uphold respect and honor at the Senate. “The Senate now is not in the business of comedy because we inherited many problems facing the nation from the honorable senators who came before us. These are serious problems that need solutions,” Padilla said over his Facebook. The current crop of senators come from a new generation, and their work is not based on being honorable-looking, he stressed. Also, he said they are from the masses and have their feet on the ground. Padilla likewise pointed out that while the current senators may seem “noisy", they are not sleeping on the job or fiddling with their phones absent-mindedly. “A senator giving inputs during session is not a violation but a parliamentary procedure allowed by the Rules of the Senate. A senator who talks to his or her constituents is not a liability but a humble fulfillment of obligations,” he said. Padilla also defended Zubiri and Majority Leader Emmanuel “Joel” Villanueva. He described them as “magaling at diretsong pinuno (wise and straight leaders)” and not traditional politicians who work for the nation. “In Zubiri and Villanueva, there is fairness and humility. Our service should not be judged by the way we look but on who brought the government closer to the people. Get used to the new face of the Senate - young and no-nonsense,” he said.