President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday urged senators to return to work, saying the suspension of Senate sessions has disrupted urgent government business at a time when several legislative measures still need action.
Marcos made the statement when asked about recent developments in the Senate, including the suspension of sessions for two consecutive days.
“Get back to work. Get back to work. Because it’s important. Ang dami nating kailangang gawin,” Marcos said in a chance interview on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet with Batang Maynila Presidential Scholars at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
The President described the situation in the Senate as saddening and unexpected, saying he never imagined such a development would happen in the upper chamber.
“That is anathema to everything that governance is about. I never imagined in my entire life, never mind my entire political life, that such a thing could happen,” Marcos said.
He said the executive and judiciary branches continue to perform their duties, and questioned why legislative work had to stop.
Marcos also criticized the suspension of a session supposedly linked to sending off a senator, saying it was not a sufficient reason to cancel official proceedings.
“I don’t think na ihahatid mo ang isang senador para pumunta kung saan siya pupunta. Hindi yata sapat na dahilan ‘yan para i-cancel ang isang session. Isang session lang ‘yun. Ngayon, kanselado na naman ang isang session,” he said.
Asked what other branches of government could do to address the situation, Marcos said the administration is studying all available options, including those under the Constitution and existing laws.
“We’re examining all our options. We’re looking at the law, we’re looking at the Constitution, and to see how we can remedy the situation,” he said.
However, Marcos stressed that the executive branch cannot dictate the actions of the legislature, which is a co-equal branch of government.
“But it requires the cooperation and the commitment of the Senate leadership to continue with their work. Otherwise, the Executive is co-equal only to the Legislature,” he said.
“We cannot tell them what to do. We cannot punish them for what they are doing. They have to regulate themselves,” Marcos added.
The President said the Senate leadership must act on the situation and ensure that legislative work continues.