Senators on Monday, Feb. 5 were baffled by the resolution adopted by the lower chamber on Monday afternoon, Feb. 5, defending Speaker Martin Romualdez from what congressmen called "baseless accusations" from the Senate in connection with the recent push for People’s Initiative (PI).

For his part, Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said that a lot of congressmen have attacked him in different press conferences yet he appealed to his colleagues to lower the temperature. He added that this was also his answer to questions from the media when asked about certain congressmen, even though some of the queries could have triggered him to engage in a dispute.

Zubiri even stated before the plenary session that the Senate will not succumb to pressure of a deadline when discussing the proposed economic provisions that are raised under Resolution of Both Houses No. 6

"Although we are co-equal legislative branch but we're an independent body in the Senate. We respect each individual senator here. We do not sheperd the members of the senate like sheep in a flock. Here in the Senate, everyone is free to deliver," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said that it bothers him that their co-equal house, with the House of Representatives, would accuse the Senate of coming up with this so-called “intense attacks”.

"I’ve been a member of Congress for quite some time – nine years in the House of Representatives. I’ve never heard of a resolution like this," he said.

"At ngayon, binibigyan pa tayo ng deadline nung isa kung sino man yun. Kung anong gagawin ng Senado. Tayo ba ay utusan dito? Tayo ba ay basta susunod na lamang kahit kanino? Mismong Presidente ng Pilipinas, hindi ko narinig na sinabihan ang ating Senate President...sabihin sa atin na ganito lang, dapat ganito yung timeline niyo (And now, we're being a given a deadline by someone. On what we will do in the Senate. Are we servants here? Are we just going to follow whoever? Even the President of the Philippines, I've never heard him tell our Senate President...tell us this is what you do, this is the timeline)," he added.

Villanueva said that he takes offense at the House resolution.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who raised the issue during the plenary session, said that if a leader is embattled or beleaguered in the case of the House of Representatives (HOR), it is but normal for the members of the House to express their unwavering support.

Yet he stated that what he cannot understand is the phrase “intense assault” that's coming from the Senate.

"I’ve been a defender of this institution, for more than a decade and I love this institution. But what I cannot accept is that the title of the resolution is 'intense assault.' May you please enlighten me with the definition of intense assault? Mr. President? Because as far as I know, as far as I can remember, if my memory serves me right, there was no direct assault coming from the Senate towards any member of the House of Representatives," he said.

"Maybe the Minority Leader can enlighten me with the definition of intense assault and “in violation of the principle of interparliamentary courtesy and undue interference in the performance of its legislative constituent functions. What did we violate? I don't think we violated any rule," he added.

Estrada believes that senators did not violate any interparliamentary courtesy because they have always observed it from the very start and thinks that the resolution is an "affront" to the Senate as an institution.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel on the other hand, mentioned that saying that the Senate has no clear legislative purpose in its hearing on PI is unparliamentary conduct.

"Masarap sanang di na to patulan pero nasa title pa. (We shouldn't bother taking this up but it's in the title) That means they really believe this. I dont know what the house is after," he said.

Pimentel believes that the two houses must have a dialogue on the issue.

Overwhelmingly adopted via voice vote (ayesha vs. nayes) during the plenary session was House Resolution (HR) No.1562, which also called for adherence to inter-parliamentary courtesy between the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The measure is titled, "Resolution expressing unwavering solidarity and support to the leadership of the Honorable Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, and upholding the integrity and honor of the House of Representatives in the face of intense assault from the Senate in violation of the principle of inter-parliamentary courtesy and undue interference in the performance of its legislative and constituent functions.”

As of this posting, at least 287 out of the 310 House members have signed the measure to show their support for Speaker Romualdez.