The Senate formally opens the second regular session of Congress on Monday with only 20 out of 24 members present. Maila Ager/黑料社
MANILA, Philippines鈥擣ar from the usual threats of change in leadership, the Senate on Monday聽 opened 聽the second regular session of the 16th Congress still reeling from a massive corruption scandal which has shocked the country.
Three senators were conspicuously absent when Senate President Franklin Drilon banged the gavel at exactly 10 a.m., signalling the opening of the session.
The three were Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose 鈥淛inggoy鈥� Estrada and Ramon 鈥淏ong鈥� Revila Jr., who have been charged with plunder and graft for allegedly taking millions of pesos in kickback from illegally diverted congressional discretionary fund. They have been detained at the Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Except for Revilla, both Enrile聽 and Estrada have been suspended from the chamber on orders of the Sandiganbayan.
Also notably absent during聽 the opening of聽 Congress was Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who has been on a sick leave. The feisty senator shocked the nation when she announced on July 2 that she has been battling lung cancer.
Sans the four senators, the 24-member upper chamber opened with only聽 20 members聽 present 鈥� 16 from the majority聽 bloc and four from the聽 minority group.
The聽 majority members present were Drilon,聽 Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno聽 鈥淏am鈥� Aquino IV, Pia Cayetano, Francis 鈥淐hiz鈥� Escudero,聽 Teofisto Guingona III, Lito Lapid,聽 Loren Legarda, Ferdinand 鈥淏ong-Bong鈥� Marcos Jr., Senator Sergio Osmena III, Aquilino Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Antonio 鈥淪onny鈥� Trillanes IV, and Cynthia Villar.
The聽 four opposition members who attended the hearing were Senators Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan,聽 Nanc Binay, and Joseph聽 Victor 鈥淛V鈥� Ejercito.
Detained Enrile and聽 Estrada belong to the minority group while Revilla and cancer-stricken Santiago聽 are members of the聽 majority bloc.
When the Senate adjourned聽 sini die聽 last month, no less than the Senate President himself admitted聽 that the 鈥減ork鈥� barrel scandal聽 has cast a 鈥渓ong, dark shadow over the institution.鈥�
鈥淪ince we opened the 16th Congress in July last year, it has been a difficult and challenging journey for the Senate,鈥澛� Drilon said in a speech before he adjourned the session.
鈥淚 would like to thank the members of this august chamber for remaining composed and focused on our mandate despite the barrage of harsh and relentless criticisms directed at our beloved institution when the PDAF controversy surfaced last year,鈥澛� he said.
PDAF is聽 Priority Development Assistance Funds, also known as pork barrel funds.
The Philippine Congress abolished the PDAF even before the Supreme Court could declare it unconstitutional, and conducted its own inquiry on the alleged misuse of the 鈥減ork鈥� barrel funds.
And as it tries聽 to recover from the backlash of the聽 scandal,聽 another controversy聽 hit the聽 institution聽 this time over its handling of the Senate hearing on the聽 Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), the presidential discretionary fund parts of which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The Senate聽 was heavily聽 criticized in the social media and even by various sectors of the society for being 鈥渢oo soft鈥� on President Benigno Aquino鈥檚 men, led by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad when the committee on finance conducted the hearing on the DAP on July 24.
Critics said聽 the Senate was 鈥渢oo soft鈥� on Aquino鈥檚 men, led by Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, who attended the hearing to defend the program.
Majority members of the Senate allegedly received funds from the presidential 鈥減ork鈥�.
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