President Marcos said he watched “with horror” the recent controversies surrounding the Senate, lamenting what he described as the institution's decline compared to when he served as a senator.

Speaking to Manila-based reporters in Tokyo, Marcos said he and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto often find themselves comparing the current Senate to the chamber during their own time as lawmakers.

“Very. I watched with horror that the Senate has become this,” the President said on Friday, May 29, when asked if he was concerned over the situation in the Senate.

“Madalas kaming natitinginan ni ES Ralph. Ganyan ba tayo noong senador tayo? Mayroon ba tayong ganyan na ginagawa? Hindi tayo ganyan (ES Ralph and I often look at each other and ask: Were we like that when we were senators? Did we do things like that? We were not like that),” he added.

Marcos said Senate debates during his time were intense and substantive, but lawmakers did not allow disagreements to become personal.

“Naging personal. Ang babaw na ng usapan (It became personal. The discussions have become shallow),” he said.

The President recalled how senators previously engaged in “well-studied” and “no-holds-barred” interpolations during sessions, yet still maintained professional relationships afterward.

“Pero after pag-upo namin, magkakape naman kami. Kakain kami nang magkasabay. Hindi personal (But after the session, we would still have coffee together. We would eat together. It was not personal),” he said.

“It's about work. It's not about personalities,” he added.

Marcos said he never imagined that the Senate would “descend into this kind of what's happening right now.”

The President also expressed disbelief over the recent alleged “siege” and shooting incident at the Senate.

“Tapos narating pa tayo sa putukan. Tapos fake pala ‘yung putukan. Tapos… Hindi ko maintindihan (Then it even reached the point of gunfire. Then it turned out the shooting was fake. I do not understand it),” he said.

Marcos said nothing similar ever happened during his years in the chamber.

“Eh, walang nangyayaring kagaya niyan noong panahon ko sa Senado (Nothing like that happened during my time in the Senate),” he added.

The Chief Executive also echoed concerns raised earlier by former Senate President Franklin Drilon about the Senate allegedly sheltering fugitives from justice.

“The Senate is now sheltering fugitives from justice. How did that happen? I don't understand how a Senate is supposed to function if those are the kind of things that the Senate is embroiled in,” Marcos said.

“I hope they figure it out soon. I really do,” he added.

President Marcos also rejected proposals to amend Senate rules to allow online voting, saying the measure appeared intended to allow Sen. Ronald dela Rosa to participate despite being wanted by authorities.

“I disagree with that,” he said.

“I understand that we had to do it in Covid because there was a health risk. But I do not see any particularly good reason for us to allow it now,” he added.

Marcos said the proposal seems to apply only to Dela Rosa

“Para makaboto si Senator Bato dahil nagtatago siya (So Senator Dela Rosa can vote because he is hiding),” he said.

The President maintained that someone being sought by authorities should not be allowed to vote remotely.

“Now, for someone who is actually a fugitive from justice, na hinahanap ng pulis, na hinahanap ng Interpol at may arrest warrant galing sa ICC, palagay ko hindi siya dapat bumoto (Now, for someone who is actually a fugitive from justice, being sought by the police, by Interpol, and with an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, I think he should not be allowed to vote),” he said.

Marcos emphasized that Senate tradition has long required physical presence during voting.