We are co-equals as elected senators, Go tells colleagues
Published Jun 4, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah L. Torregoza
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Thursday reminded his colleagues in the Senate that they are co-equals after delivering a privilege speech and declining to entertain other senators’ questions.
(Office of Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go manifested his opinion after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon raised a parliamentary question on the practice of not allowing any interpellation after a privilege speech.
Drilon pointed out that “historically and by tradition” the Senate has been known as the arena where the policies of the national government are debated “whether through law, resolutions, or privilege speeches.”
“I just want to place on record that prior to this Congress, there was no such practice of not accepting or not allowing interpellation,” Drilon said during the plenary session.
To which Senate President Vicente Sotto III agreed, but noted that a senator cannot be forced to yield the floor to another.
“Usually, the practice is that when you rise, you have to answer the questions or you have to allow yourself to be interpellated... We cannot force anyone to yield the floor to anyone once he rises, unfortunately,” Sotto said.
But Sotto pointed out there was one incident when the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago made a privilege speech and refused to entertain any more questions.
He, however, recalled that the reason the feisty former senator refused to be interpellated was because she was annoyed at then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.
Go said he welcomes the reminder but also asked them to remember they are colleagues in the Senate.
“The observation of the Minority Floor Leader is well noted. Thank you very much for the reminder but it depends on the issue, I'm willing to be interpellated, eh, itong issue na ito (but this issue) is my privilege and siguro kung baka matatagalan tayo, mauubos ang oras natin dito, (and if I do, we will finish late and waste time discussing this),” Go pointed out.
“Remember that we are colleagues here, we are elected by the people and we are all senators. I am not your student, and you are not my proctor,” the neophyte senator further said.
In response, Drilon placed it on record that he respects the privileges of other senators.
Go, in his privilege speech on Thursday, scored the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for its failure to distribute the cash benefits to the family members of health workers who died due to COVID-19.
The Senate committee on health and demography chief in his speech expressed his dismay at these agencies and called them out for the conflicting statements regarding the purported guidelines on the release of the cash assistance for medical frontliners who died and or contracted the COVID-19.
(Office of Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go manifested his opinion after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon raised a parliamentary question on the practice of not allowing any interpellation after a privilege speech.
Drilon pointed out that “historically and by tradition” the Senate has been known as the arena where the policies of the national government are debated “whether through law, resolutions, or privilege speeches.”
“I just want to place on record that prior to this Congress, there was no such practice of not accepting or not allowing interpellation,” Drilon said during the plenary session.
To which Senate President Vicente Sotto III agreed, but noted that a senator cannot be forced to yield the floor to another.
“Usually, the practice is that when you rise, you have to answer the questions or you have to allow yourself to be interpellated... We cannot force anyone to yield the floor to anyone once he rises, unfortunately,” Sotto said.
But Sotto pointed out there was one incident when the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago made a privilege speech and refused to entertain any more questions.
He, however, recalled that the reason the feisty former senator refused to be interpellated was because she was annoyed at then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.
Go said he welcomes the reminder but also asked them to remember they are colleagues in the Senate.
“The observation of the Minority Floor Leader is well noted. Thank you very much for the reminder but it depends on the issue, I'm willing to be interpellated, eh, itong issue na ito (but this issue) is my privilege and siguro kung baka matatagalan tayo, mauubos ang oras natin dito, (and if I do, we will finish late and waste time discussing this),” Go pointed out.
“Remember that we are colleagues here, we are elected by the people and we are all senators. I am not your student, and you are not my proctor,” the neophyte senator further said.
In response, Drilon placed it on record that he respects the privileges of other senators.
Go, in his privilege speech on Thursday, scored the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for its failure to distribute the cash benefits to the family members of health workers who died due to COVID-19.
The Senate committee on health and demography chief in his speech expressed his dismay at these agencies and called them out for the conflicting statements regarding the purported guidelines on the release of the cash assistance for medical frontliners who died and or contracted the COVID-19.