For the sake of Villar

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The alleged “boycott” of the Senate session where the members were expected to vote on the report of its Committee on the Whole on the C-5 controversy involving a former speaker, and now presidential candidate, is a very, very sad commentary on the ethics of those who deliberately stayed away for purposes of their own.

The whole country was watching, expecting their senators to act on an issue that had been taking much of their time – and the people’s money in their salaries and pork barrel privileges – like the statesmen they had expected them to be when they voted them into office.

Alas, the Filipino people only realized what selfish characters some of their solons can be. Despite the protestations of some that they had other reasons for keeping away from that particular session, it was clear to the people that it had something to do with the voting on the case of Senator Manny Villar, against whom Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile had prepared an unfavorable report.

And so what was to be the last meeting of the Senate could not even take place because it could not muster the required number, that is, there was no quorum.

We say it was a selfish act because it seems it was only Villar who had gained from the alleged boycott. So many other important measures, pending bills that had been awaited by the country, also were not acted upon, because the members of the Senate needed to constitute the quorum, had stayed away.

Shelved because of their perceived protectiveness towards Villar were such bills as the Proposed Freedom of Information Act, the Philippine Immigration Act, The Early Voting Bill, New Central Bank Act, the Cybercrime Prevention Act, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Report on the ZTE-National Broadband Deal, and many others.

So what if that was the last session before their adjournment? Let the people wait. Their lawmakers who stayed away apparently couldn’t care less.*