Bataan 1st district Rep. Geraldine Roman fields questions during a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 6 (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

Bataan 1st district Rep. Geraldine Roman on Tuesday, Feb. 6, questioned the intention of some senators for their “continued attacks” against the House of Representatives and its leader, Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“Kayo na lang ba ang tama? At kami mali? Kayo na lang ang nagmamahal sa bansa at kami hindi? Kayo lang ang defenders of the Constitution at kami gusto naming babuyin ang Constitution?” Roman asked in a press briefing.

(Are you the only ones right? And we are wrong? You are the only ones who love the country and we don't? You are the sole defenders of the Constitution and we want to make a mockery of the Constitution?)

“Self-righteous much?” she added, as she took a dig at tthe senators. 

Roman made these remarks one day after the lower chamber adopted a resolution defending the Speaker from the “intense assault” of the Senate.

This comes after the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, launched an inquiry into the People’s Initiative (PI) mode of Charter change (Cha-cha). Senators have been linking the PI to Romualdez, much to House member's displeasure.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know we were not allowed to feel that way. Sa totoo lang (In fact), this rift should not have existed in the first place had we exercised some minimum amount of empathy,” Roman said.

The transgender lawmaker expressed alarm over the Senate's implication of Romualdez for his alleged involvement with the signature-gathering activity of PI. She claims the House can do the same to Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri if they choose to do so.

“But of course, we take the higher ground and we would never do that,” she noted. “That’s unthinkable.”

Instead of engaging with “character assassination and language unbecoming of senators”, Roman advised members of the upper chambe to have “humility and a little bit of introspection” to understand the House’s reasoning for adopting the resolution, which had apparently angered the senators.

“People will forget about what we say or did pero mag-ingat tayo sa pagtrato sa isa’t isa (but let’s be careful in treating each other) because it’s difficult to forget how you make us feel, when you make us feel like we’re inferiors and not co-equal,” the Bataan solon underscored.

“A little bit of empathy would have avoided this situation,” she noted.