Drilon to Pimentel: Defend Senate independence

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon urged Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III yesterday to defend the Senate as a democratic and independent institution amid repeated attacks initiated by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Drilon noted this was the first time in all his years as a senator that he has seen a Speaker attacking the Senate, and stressed this was unacceptable.

“There is such a thing as inter-chamber courtesy. This (attack by Alvarez) demeans the Senate as an institution of democracy. This is very alarming because checks and balances are the very essence of democracy and if you weaken the Senate, then you weaken the checks and balances,” Drilon said over radio dwIZ.

Alvarez has repeatedly criticized the Senate for being slow in acting on important pieces of legislation and told the senators to admit their shortcomings.

Drilon noted how there appears to be a systematic attack on democratic institutions under the current administration, which he said could weaken the democratic processes of the country.

He cited the constant attacks by the administration against the Commission on Human Rights, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Supreme Court through Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and now the Senate.

“I am calling on Senate President Pimentel to defend the Senate as an institution of democracy,” Drilon said, adding that this should be done regardless of political affiliations and as an obligation on the part of Pimentel.

Both Pimentel and Alvarez are part of PDP-Laban as its president and secretary general, respectively.

“He (Pimentel) has the duty to preserve the independence of the Senate,” Drilon said.