MANILA, Philippines — A week after the 18th Congress opened, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who started his Senate career in 2001, shared his experience with neophyte senators, advising them to observe, watch and learn.
Lacson was sought for comment about the debate between Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, who was first elected as a senator in the 1990s, and Sen. Francis Tolentino, who won a Senate seat in the last May 2019 elections, during the first session day in the 18th Congress.
Drilon grilled Tolentino about the latter’s privilege speech defending President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping on their “verbal agreement” to allow Chinese fishermen to operate in the West Philippine Sea.
Drilon, during the interpellation, challenged Tolentino to present first the details of the verbal agreement before the senators could further discuss the validity of the supposed agreement.
Tolentino, however, replied that his assertions were just based on “anecdotal” media reports and admitted that he had no details of the agreement. Drilon later suggested that the issue should be best discussed in a committee hearing and not on the floor.
Lacson said he does not want to give any advice but just shared his own 18 years’ experience.
“Instead of giving unsolicited advice, I will just share our own experience,” Lacson said when sought for comment on the Drilon-Tolentino exchange.
“When we first came into the Senate in 2001, the veteran senators met with us. Ang tanda ko si I remember Senator Sotto was there at that time,” Lacson recalled, referring to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
“All you new senators, don’t stand immediately. Observe for three to four months, just watch. Don’t try to stand there, raise your arms, surely you’ll get hit,” said Lacson, quoting Sotto.
When asked if he has the same advice for neophyte senators in the 18th Congress, Lacson was quick to clarify that he was just sharing his own experience.
“I’m just sharing our experience,” Lacson said.