President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday disagreed with proposals to allow online voting by some senators who fail to attend the sessions and hearings without justifiable reasons, adding that doing so was only for the benefit of Senator Ronald dela Rosa who is a fugitive from justice.
The President, who is a former senator, said during a Kapihan interview with the media in Japan that the long-standing tradition of the Senate is that “if you are not physically present on the floor when a vote is taken, that you cannot in fact vote”.
Marcos said online voting was only allowed during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and everyone was concerned about health and safety.
He said these conditions are not present now.
“I disagree with that. I understand that we had to do it in COVID because there was a health risk. But I do not see any particularly good reason for us to allow it now,” the President said when asked for his opinion on online voting.
“It seems to only be applicable to Senator Bato, para makaboto si Senator Bato dahil nagtatago siya. Now, for someone who is actually a fugitive from justice, na hinahanap ng pulis, na hinahanap ng Interpol at may arrest warrant galing sa ICC, palagay ko hindi siya dapat bumoto. Hanggat dumating siya doon sa Senado,” he added.
Marcos said that it would be different if Dela Rosa chose to attend the hearings like the last time when he appeared in the Senate and voted during the change in leadership in favor of now Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
“Kung he’s willing to take the risk like he did the last time, eh ibang usapan ‘yun. Basta’t nandiyan siya (If he’s willing to take the risk like he did last time, that’s a different story. As long as he’s there),” he added.
HORROR
The President also shared that he had watched “with horror” the recent developments in the Senate fiasco, questioning how it had come to this.
Marcos said that being a former senator, he does not recall a time when they would attack each other on a personal level.
He said it was “very” concerning.
“I watched with horror that the Senate has become this. I looked at my other fellow senators. Madalas kaming natitinginan ni ES Ralph. Ganyan ba tayo noong senador tayo? Mayroon ba tayong ganyan na ginagawa? Hindi tayo ganyan. Paano nangyari? (“I watched with horror that the Senate has become this. I looked at my other fellow senators. ES Ralph often looked at us. Were we like that when we were senators? Do we do anything like that? We are not like that. How did it happen?),” he said.
“Iyong Senado hindi na kagaya noong panahon natin. Dahil nagpe-personalan na eh. Naging personal. Ang babaw na nang usapan.
level then (the Senate is no longer like it was in our time. Now it is getting personal. It has become personal. The conversation is now superficial),” he added.
Following the change in leadership in the Senate, a shooting incident ensued on the evening of May 13 supposedly amid attempts to arrest Dela Rosa who is the subject of a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court in connection with a crime against humanity complaint that stemmed from the drug war under the Duterte government.
Before dawn on May 14, dela Rosa slipped out of the Senate despite its having protective custody over him.
Malacanang is also alleged to be behind legal actions against several senators who now belong to the Senate majority group.
The President said they have nothing to do with the complaints nor is there a plot nor a planned attack against the senators.
Among those facing legal issues are Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Rodante Marcoleta, Francis Escudero and Joel Villanueva.
Marcos also denied the no elections and alleged constitutional assembly being hatched by the administration to extend his term of office as alleged by his sister, Senator Imee Marcos.
He said he should fire the staff who gave her the information.
“You know, fake news hurts everyone. Not only those that fake news are attacking, but also those who are purveying that fake news. The purveyors of fake news are also damaged by this kind of…So she should choose her sources of information,” he said.
“Because the truth of the matter is we have never at any point even spoken about this anywhere with anyone at any time. So I don’t know,” he added.