The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate minority bloc on Monday slammed the majority group's attempt to label as Senate "independence" its "boycott" of session amid their duty to tackle pending measures before Congress adjourns on Friday. "This is not Senate independence, but a boycott of duty," the 11-member minority senators said in a joint statement hours after the cancelation of the session after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano failed to show up. "Let us call this for what it is: the claim that this is about Senate independence is false," the Solid Bloc (SB) 11 said. The SB 11 was referring to Cayetano's call urging the minority bloc to defend the Senate's independence following the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who belonged to the majority bloc. "What happened today was about the rule of law, public accountability and a lawful process before the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan that no senator, no bloc and no presiding officer controls," the SB 11 said. "Is Senate President Alan Cayetano now questioning the rule of law?" the minority asked. "This is a boycott because of the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and the public should not be asked to believe another convenient line from a leadership that has repeatedly twisted the truth," it added. The minority groupmates said they were present for the 5 p.m. resumption of session, "ready to work, ready to vote on pending bills and ready to keep the Senate running." But the majority led by Cayetano "chose not to show up." "They did not even have the courtesy to inform us when they ignored the rules, and could not extend the basic decency of telling the minority that they had no intention of convening," the SB 11 said. "Let us focus on the work, because the Senate has serious business before it, and if the majority wants to protest, deliver privilege speeches or defend its position, the proper place to do that is on the floor, not by making the chamber stand still," the group said.
Go to News Site