Oil crisis, El Niño not grounds for Senate remote work

SENATOR Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel on Thursday rejected Senator Robinhood C. Padilla’s suggestion that the Middle East war is a “force majeure” that should allow senators to attend sessions virtually, noting that the said issues require the chamber to work on-site.

In a press statement, Ms. Hontiveros said the problems cited by Mr. Padilla are not considered as “force majeure,” and also addressing that the impending China and Taiwan conflict has been a lingering threat for a long time already.

“There are many pending bills for Filipino citizens that we should be working on in person,” she said. “We didn’t need to work online.”

The statement was made following Mr. Padilla’s Facebook post citing the US-Israel and Iran war, the China-Taiwan conflict, and the El Niño expected to hit the country in June.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson raised that the Supreme Court may also intervene if a grave abuse of discretion on the part of the majority bloc is committed.

“Remote participation is allowed only in unexpected or uncontrollable circumstances or emergencies that prevent senators from attending sessions physically,” Mr. Lacson said, citing the Senate Rules.

The discussion on amending the Senate Rules continued more than a day after the minority bloc walked out of the plenary on Tuesday, breaking the quorum.

The minority senators walked out after Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta insisted on a vote on his motion allowing senators to participate in sessions via teleconference.

Meanwhile, the Filipina CEO Circle on Thursday urged the Senate to uphold the chamber’s integrity and independence by providing Filipinos with opportunities and public services amid social and economic challenges.

“We urge all senators to uphold the dignity of their office, discharge their responsibilities faithfully, and demonstrate the kind of leadership that strengthens public trust and advances the country’s progress,” the women’s group said in a statement. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel