The Senate leadership dispute is not a choice between the Marcos and Duterte camps as many Filipinos want independent, issue-based governance rather than loyalty to political blocs, Senator Bam Aquino said Tuesday.
In an interview on ANC’s Headstart, Aquino said the current public narrative that officials must be either pro-Marcos or pro-Duterte is misleading and does not reflect what many citizens are looking for from the government.
“’Yan ang pinakamalaking kasinungalingan ngayon na binibenta sa publiko na dalawang grupo lang, either Sara ka o Marcos ka. Mas marami sa mga kababayan natin, don’t want either (That is the biggest lie being sold to the public now, that there are only two groups, either you are for Sara or for Marcos. Many of our countrymen do not want either),” Aquino said.
Aquino said more Filipinos now prefer leaders who examine issues independently and act based on public welfare.
“Mas marami sa mga Pilipino, sa tingin ko, nandito sa gitna. Naghahanap ng lunas, naghahanap ng tulong, naghahanap ng Senado at ng gobyerno na natutulong talaga sa kanila (I think more Filipinos are in the middle. They are looking for solutions, for help, for a Senate and government that can truly assist them),” he said.
He said public needs, especially after the powerful earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao, should remind officials that government work cannot be reduced to political camps.
“Ang hinahanap ng tao, sino bang tutugon sa mga problema ko? Hindi yung, kanino-sino yung boss mo? Boss mo ba ito? Boss mo ba iyan? Dapat kami yung boss mo (What people are looking for is who will respond to their problems, not who your boss is. Is this your boss? Is that your boss? We should be your boss),” Aquino said.
Aquino said the bloc led by Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian wants the chamber to return to a “sense of normalcy” and focus on reforms needed by the people.
He said the Senate should move away from constant conflict and return to plenary work, committee hearings, and legislation.
“Bumalik tayo sa isang Senado na nagtatrabaho, na gumagawa ng mga reforma para sa Pilipino, at hindi na yung puro conflict, puro away, puro drama (Let us return to a Senate that works, that delivers reforms for Filipinos, and not one filled with conflict, quarrels, and drama),” he said.
Aquino said the Senate leadership change was triggered by the failure to hold sessions for three consecutive days, which he said many senators and Senate employees found difficult to accept.
He maintained that the Gatchalian bloc stands on jurisprudence and Senate precedents, citing the 1949 Avelino v. Cuenco ruling and previous quorum practices. (PNA)