President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged senators to resume their legislative duties, warning that recent events in the chamber have thrown the Senate into “disarray” and stalled essential government work.
“Get back to work. Because it’s important, ang dami nating kailangang gawin,” Marcos said in an ambush interview on Wednesday, June 3.
The President criticized the cancellation of plenary sessions on June 1 and 2, after the majority bloc failed to attend.
He stressed that while the executive and judiciary continue to function, the legislature has effectively stopped working.
“I’m afraid all these events that we have been witnessing have thrown the Senate and its leadership, the whole Senate, into disarray. It has discredited the leadership, and it has stopped the essential business of legislation in government,” Marcos said.
He emphasized that the country is in the middle of an emergency, making the Senate’s absence from work unacceptable.
“We cannot do that if the legislature decides to stay at home and have a vacation. That is anathema to everything that governance is about,” he added.
Marcos, who previously served as both congressman and senator, said he never imagined the Senate would reach such a state.
He questioned the basis for canceling sessions, saying that accompanying a colleague during his arrest was not a sufficient reason.
The President noted that more than 20 priority bills were scheduled for passage this month, but progress has stalled.
He said the executive is “examining all options” to remedy the situation but stressed that the Senate must regulate itself.
“They have to regulate themselves. And they haven’t been doing much of a good job right now,” Marcos said. (Betheena Unite)
