Senate ‘banana republics’

The Senate of the Philippines is known by a popular cliché as composed of 24 “independent republics.” That is how each and every senator wishes to be defined in protecting his or her stand on whatever national issues and concerns, with rabid zealousness.

When such stand naturally converges with the personal interest and well-being of each of his or her fellow senator, it turns and becomes a “majority” sentiment. The Philippine Congress, for that matter, strictly operates under the majority rule of parliament.

This means the greater number of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives become the majority whenever there is a division of the house. The outnumbered lawmakers will have to settle for becoming the minority.

In the case of the Upper Chamber, this majority rule comes from the so-called 24 “independent republics” of the Philippine Senate. Or, in simple numbers game, it is 12 plus one – or half of the total 24 senators plus one – that can unseat a sitting Senate president, in particular.

This was displayed last Monday when 13 senators moved out in the open from the rumor mills of their ouster plot against the sitting Senate chief. And for the third time since the first regular sessions of the 20th Congress began three years ago, the third leadership change came as expected.

The Upper Chamber saw the first leadership change from Senate president Francis “Chiz” Escudero who assumed in July 2022 but was ousted in September last year. The new majority installed comebacking Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as new Senate president.

Escudero though declined the Senate tradition as the outgoing Senate president to become the new Senate minority. He opted to become an ordinary member of the Senate. Thus, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano got elected as Senate minority leader.

Now, it came full circle for both Cayetano and Sotto, who switched roles in this third change of Senate leadership.

Initially, Sotto told Senate reporters he went through the same experience six times already. “I was kind of expecting it, talks going on the past few days,” Sotto conceded.

“We serve at the pleasure of our peers,” he added.

“Once you become SP (Senate president), you must always expect it (ouster move). As SP is of no moment, ” he rationalized.

While he declined to delve into motives behind his ouster, Sotto believes “God has other plans” for him. “Sometimes loyalties, friendship usually, I understand that each of them has their own agenda. Your back must be ready,” he pointed out.

The most tumultuous Senate leadership challenge happened during the 8th Congress in December 1992 when there were still clear political battlelines. The late Senate president Jovito Salonga (LP, or Liberal Party) was ousted in the leadership struggle. He got replaced by the late Sen. Neptali Gonzales (LDP, or Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino).

That dramatic leadership struggle involved the Senate mace or the hallowed symbol of the power/authority of the Senate. Its designated spot is in front of the Senate session hall. The Senate mace is placed on its post to signal start of the plenary session and is removed to signal the session is over.

It sits at the Senate secretariat desk, directly across the Senate chief as the presiding officer. The Senate mace was snatched by partisan loyalists at the height of the shouting match at the Senate hall and ensuing chaos on the Senate floor. It could not be found when Gonzales was about to be sworn in as new Senate chief until a replica mace was instead used.

Because of that incident, a modus vivendi was reached among the senators, though it remains as an unwritten rule. From that time on, it was agreed that any leadership change should be done in a civilized manner that is consistent with their being elected parliamentarians.

While the latest Senate coup actually has long been in the rumor mills, it happened when they resumed session last week after their one-month Lenten recess. Talks of replacing Sotto as Senate chief, pointed the source, came from the ranks of the nine minority Senators, six of whom are closely identified with former president Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Vice President Sara.

These included Senators Cayetano, Bong Go, Robinhood Padilla, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and presidential sister Imee Marcos. Senators Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva comprised the rest of the minority bloc at the Senate.

The most telltale sign, though unexpected, was the sudden attendance of Sen. Dela Rosa. The absentee senator came out from hiding for the past six months. This was after he learned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued already the warrant of arrest against him as co-accused of ex-president Duterte currently detained at The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.

In a dramatic – or comic – turn of events of Bato’s return to the Senate, he slipped on the stairs running away from warrant servers.

Ironically, the actual Senate coup was carried out before 257 members of the Lower House took to voting to approve the articles of impeachment against VP Sara. This was more than the one-third votes needed to transmit the same to the Senate for impeachment trial.

Thus, Sotto could not help but share the concerns and speculations of many political pundits that the latest Senate leadership change had something to do with VP Sara’s impeachment.

“Impeach – perhaps, most probably, there is strong possibility. Coz as SP, as I previously said, I will constitute immediately the impeachment court once the articles of impeachment are submitted to us,” Sotto cited.

If the VP Sara impeachment is stopped, Sotto warned: “Nakakahiya sa bayan pag nangyari yun.”

Fortunately, Cayetano made the same public assurance after he assumed as new Senate President that he will convene the impeachment court “forthwith.” Quoting Sotto, Cayetano clarified the impeachment court will tackle first though the administrative preparations before the actual impeachment trial.

We shall see how the Senate “banana republics” act as the impeachment court.