Choose your Senate: Old dogs or young blood?

MANILA, Philippines - Voters will have a choice between young and older politicians to represent them in the Senate in the coming May midterm election.

There have been calls for the election of younger senators who would bring new ideas, more energy and fresh idealism to an institution that has been dominated by older members.

The current 15th Congress has 10 senators who are over 60 years old, including two – Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Joker Arroyo – already in their 80s.

Of the current crop, the youngest is Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV at 41, followed by Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano at 42 and Francis Escudero at 43. All three are running for reelection.

A number of younger politicians have joined the race for the Senate, including the cousin of President Aquino, Bam Aquino, the youngest candidate at 35.

Apart from Aquino, a number of politicians under 50 years of age would be seeking a seat in the Senate, namely Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, 40; the daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, Nancy Binay, 39; former Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, 44; Grace Poe Llamanzares, 44; Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño, 43; San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito, 42.

On the other side of the age fence are five politicians who are over 60, including three former members of the Senate.

Former Senate president Ernesto Maceda at 77 is making another run, along with former senators Ramon Magsaysay Jr., 74, and Richard Gordon, 67.

Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, the wife of outgoing Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., is 62, while Puerto Princesa, Palawan Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who is running as an independent, is 66.

While having younger senators has its advantages, being older also carries with it its own merits, especially at the Senate.

Magsaysay made a case for the older generation of senators, who he said would provide the Senate with invaluable benefits in terms of their wisdom and experience.

“Congress has a lot of young people also. But Senate has to have a sense of history. Because you need that sense of history, that sense of experience... some kind of sagacious thinking,” Magsaysay said during a recent meeting with editors and reporters of The STAR.

He cited the case of the United States, which also has its share of elderly senators such as Harry Reid and John McCain, both already in their 70s.

“You have to marry the experience and wisdom with the energy of youth,” Magsaysay said.

He likened the case of the Senate to maritime navigation and even the military, where the more senior officers command a bigger number of troops. “When you are already the chief of staff, you’re old already and you know the dangers of battle, you stay at the back, meaning, you already know what went right and what went wrong before, so you must have some good economic and social perspective,” Magsaysay said.