Finally, Senate gets down to work

For a change, the senators finally went to work yesterday.

Without the animosity that had hounded them following the controversial June 3-6 session, the senators approved three bills on third reading, ratified five treaties and deliberated on the proposed Absentee Voting Law.

Yesterday’s good behavior of the senators was perceived as a collective effort to bury the hatchet and slay the ghost of the 57-day Senate impasse that started on June 3.

The senators became productive following the implementation of a virtually trouble-free scenario agreed upon by an all-Senate caucus before yesterday’s session started.

Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda was all praises for the conduct of the administration and opposition blocs, saying she foresees a real working Senate.

Senators Renato Cayetano, Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Ramon Revilla said they were confident that yesterday’s session could improve the senators’ public standing.

Sen. Robert Barbers, who had been suggesting that the unruly senators should all resign, declared yesterday was "a good beginning." He said this was in sharp contrast to the adoption of Resolution No. 391 in the early morning of July 30, but which was thrown aside on the very next session.

Resolution 391 was meant to end the 57-day impasse that grounded official business in the Senate and made the antics of the senators a sordid spectacle.

"But I am not yet convinced. I am giving my colleagues two weeks. If there will be no infighting in the next two weeks, then I will no longer press my call for mass resignation," Barbers said.

In accord with the all-Senate caucus agreement, Senate President Franklin Drilon directed the approval of the journal of the June 3 session as read by the Senate secretary. The June 3 session, presided over by Drilon, adjourned sine die for lack of quorum.

"After the approval of the June 3 journal, we expect to put all matters and issues to rest and enable us to buckled down to work," Legarda said.

Resolution 391 explicitly stated that "on all other matters, the primacy and authority of the administration senators, including the authority to resolve and dispose of the same is recognized," she said.

Drilon also ordered, "in accordance with the agreement in the caucus," to reflect in the record of the journal of the proceedings of the June 3-6 session of the opposition. During the rump session, the opposition senators reorganized 25 standing committees and elected four new Senate officers.

Senators Joker Arroyo, Francis Pangilinan and Cayetano who were absent from the caucus all expressed their objection to the inclusion of the June 3-6 proceedings in the journal.

Their objection, however, was devoid of any fireworks or elaboration on the floor.

Cayetano said later that he objected because of the ambiguous legal consequences that may arise from the inclusion of the June 3-6 proceedings in the Senate journal.

"The inclusion did not mention anything about the legality of that session. We have always maintained that session was illegal and invalid," he said.

He said that nobody in the administration bloc would be going to the courts to question the inclusion of the June 3-6 proceedings.

Approved on third and final reading were the Chainsaw Act, the amendment of the Free Patent Law and the declaration of June 30 every year as Philippine-Hispanic Friendship Day. The votes on the first bill was 21-1, with Sen. Ralph Recto casting the dissenting vote. The vote on the two other bills was unanimous.

The bills were among the four measures approved in the third and final reading by the opposition-led session.

Pimentel moved for the consideration of the three bills on third reading, "considering that the House did not officially receive them."

The Senate also unanimously ratified trade and economic treaties of the Philippines with Slovenia, South Africa, Lithuania, Cyprus and Egypt.

Before yesterday’s session was adjourned, Sen. Edgardo Angara continued his sponsorship of the proposed Absentee Voting bill, which was also approved by the opposition on third and final reading during the June 3-6 session. But the administration senators called for its reconsideration to enable them to contribute their own suggestions.

Legarda said the majority still has to decide on the committee report involving Sen. Panfilo Lacson and the chairmanship of the committees on foreign relations and on finance.

The foreign relations committee was left vacant with the appointment of Sen. Blas Ople as foreign affairs secretary.

Sen. John Osmeña yielded the finance committee chairmanship because of the emergence of a new Senate majority.

Meanwhile, militants urged the senators to come to their senses and return to work.

Raymond Palatino, national president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, said the senators must stop their "worthless squabbling and buckle down to work and to face the real and urgent issues" of the country.

"We are appealing for sobriety and action...so much time has been wasted in the perennial political bickering" in the Senate, he said.

Apolinario Alvarez, national chairman of the Anakbayan, said senators "must give back the people their taxes’ worth and get to work."