President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. urged senators to resume legislative duties amid the chamber’s paralysis, warning that the impasse has thrown the Senate into “disarray” and undermined governance.
“I never imagined in my entire life — my entire political life — that such a thing could happen, especially to the august — it’s not longer august now — but to the august body of the Upper House, the Senate and the Philippines,” Marcos said.
“It’s a very very sad situation to have to watch. The country is in need of assistance. People are in need of assistance. How can we provide that assistance without the proper legislation to back it up? That is my problem here looking at it from the side of the executive,” he added.
Marcos lamented that “all these events that we have been witnessing has thrown the Senate and its leadership, the whole Senate into disarray. It has discredited the leadership and it has stopped the essential business of legislation and government.”
“The other departments continue to work. The Executive continues to work. The Judiciary continues to work. Why does the Legislature decide to stop working? I don’t understand that,” he said, recalling his own time as senator. “We cannot figure out bakit nagkaganito. Paano tayo napunta rito?”
He noted Malacañang is “examining all our options” within the law and Constitution to address the situation but stressed it requires the Senate leadership’s cooperation. “They have to regulate themselves. And they haven’t been doing much of a good job right now,” Marcos said. # (RRN)
