A senator warned on Friday that millions of voters could be disenfranchised if the Senate blocks a proposal allowing senators to participate virtually in plenary proceedings.
The legislator defended the push for online participation amid the plunder case filed against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and the possible filing of charges against other members of the Senate majority.
She described the cases as “political persecution” and questioned their timing, saying they coincided with efforts by the minority bloc to prevent remote participation by senators.
“Political persecution. The timing of these cases and the attempt by the minority, who are, by the way, aligned with the administration, to block online participation by senators make it clear that the cases against Jinggoy and other majority senators are not about justice or accountability,” Sen. Imee Marcos said.
“It is about the desperation of the administration to hold on to power,” she added.
Marcos said Estrada should not be treated as guilty simply because a case had been filed, stressing that the constitutional presumption of innocence still applies.
She said preventing detained or otherwise unavailable senators from joining Senate proceedings remotely would effectively nullify the votes of Filipinos who elected them.
“Mababalewala ’yun if they are not allowed to participate sa Senado,” Marcos said.
She also argued that Estrada and other senators facing charges should not be compared to Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, saying they are not fugitives and would comply with court orders. If they are detained, she said their absence from plenary sessions would be involuntary.
Marcos invoked the case of former senator and now party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, saying the minority had previously supported accommodations for a detained lawmaker.
“The minority fought for the same para kay De Lima. Kahit na hindi pandemic ngayon, the senators are performing a very important duty of being impeachment judges,” she said.
Marcos said allowing virtual participation would not prejudice the minority, arguing that the larger issue is whether the Senate will allow duly elected members to perform their duties, particularly as impeachment proceedings loom.
“If the filing of these cases is not political persecution or a plot to diminish the power of the majority, then minority senators who are admin aligned should show that such is the case by allowing majority senators to participate,” she said.
She said the proposal should be viewed not as a favor to individual senators, but as a way to preserve representation for the voters who gave the majority bloc its mandate.