EDITORIAL - Back to square one

So the Senate is back to the status quo, after Sen. Ramon Revilla returned from the United States and announced he was staying with the administration. That made the chamber evenly split, 12-12. Taxpayers smell paralysis, although both sides are reassuring the public that this would not be the case, that there would be no constitutional crisis, that they would support any measure that is for the country’s good.

If the lawmakers truly had the nation’s welfare in mind, we would not be treated to this sorry political spectacle at the Senate. Once, in the not too distant past, this chamber was home to the nation’s best and brightest, a proving ground for those who had their sights set on a higher office. Those brilliant minds fought over issues, not committee chairmanships. They did not throw tantrums and switch parties at the drop of a hat. They did not stage a coup of sorts while one of their members recuperated from major surgery.

It’s good to hear both camps vowing to work on vital pieces of legislation. In a chamber so hopelessly divided, however, it’s not far-fetched to imagine that the urgent task of lawmaking will be bogged down in more interminable investigations, all in aid of publicity and re-election.

As the opening of the congressional session approaches, certain groups are working to break the impasse by raiding the ranks of each camp. In this the administration naturally has the edge, with its power to dangle sweeteners and offer rewards for switching sides. All is fair in love, war and politics. We may yet see an end to this impasse soon, but does the public still care? Many people would rather see this chamber of horrors abolished. What some senators gained in political maneuvering, they lost in public goodwill.