Senator Robinhood Padilla on Saturday hit back at critics who claimed that some members of the present Senate are not “honorable-looking” and not taking their job seriously.
“The Senate now is not in the business of comedy because we inherited many problems facing the nation from the honorable senators who came before us. These are serious problems that need solutions,” said actor-turned-politician Padilla.
He said the present batch of senators come from a new generation and are from the masses, and have their feet on the ground.
The neophyte senator pointed out that while some senators may seem “noisy,” they were not sleeping on the job or fiddling with their phones absentmindedly.
“A senator giving inputs during a session is not a violation, but a parliamentary procedure allowed by the Rules of the Senate. A senator who talks to his or her constituents is not a liability, but a humble fulfillment of obligations,” he said.
Padilla also defended Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Majority Leader Joel Villanueva whom he described as wise and straight leaders who work for the nation, and not traditional politicians.
“There is fairness and humility. Our service should not be judged by the way we look, but on who brought the government closer to the people. Get used to the new face of the Senate – young and no-nonsense,” he said.
Padilla came up with the statement after former senator Franklin Drilon commented that he noticed “very noisy” sessions when he would watch the proceedings online.
“With all due respect and I hope my former colleagues are not onion skinned, I am compelled to comment on what the public perceives to be an erosion of the prestige of the Senate as an institution, principally brought about by what is perceived to be the lack of decorum on the part of certain senators,” Drilon said.
Drilon, also a former Senate President, stressed the need for the Upper Chamber to maintain its integrity as an institution lest it weakens its power to keep the executive in check.