Malacañang on Wednesday questioned the necessity of amending Senate rules to allow remote voting, pointing out that the country is currently facing no disasters or extreme circumstances that would justify the change.
The statement follows a dramatic Tuesday night walkout by the Senate minority bloc, who exited the session hall to protest a majority-led motion allowing lawmakers to participate in plenary sessions online under “justifiable” grounds.
Speaking on the sidelines of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro noted that while virtual legislative sessions were permitted in the past, they were strictly a response to unprecedented global emergencies.
”Dati naman ay napayagan ng online voting, mga Zoom meeting, dahil mayroong, mayroon tayong kalamidad na hinaharap noon. At sa pagkakataong ito, ay wala naman tayong masasabi na anumang force majeure, calamity, na mag-justify ng mga online voting, (Online voting and Zoom meetings were allowed before because we were facing a calamity back then. But this time around, we cannot point to any force majeure or calamity that would justify online voting),” Castro said.
Despite the critique, Castro clarified that the executive branch respects the independence of the legislature and will not intervene in the chamber’s internal rules.
”Wala sa pagpapasya ng administrasyon, wala sa pagpapasya ng Pangulo. At dapat din siguro malaman nila na mahirap magkaroon ng online voting kung wala ang tao mismo sa mga pagpupulong at pagkakaroon ng diskusyon, (It is not within the administration’s decision, nor is it up to the President. And perhaps they should also realize that it is difficult to conduct online voting if the person is not physically present in the meetings and discussions),” she added.
However, the Palace official did not hold back on what the sudden push for digital participation implies about the priorities of certain lawmakers, invoking a historic revolutionary phrase to challenge their motives.
”Ito ang magandang pagkakataon para malaman natin lahat kung ang mga liderato ba at mga leaders na ito ay nagtatrabaho para sa bayan o para sa pansarili o pang-ilan naman, (This is a good opportunity for all of us to know whether these leaders and leadership are working for the nation, for themselves, or for a select few),” Castro remarked. “Kagaya nga ng sinabi ni Heneral Luna, bayan o sarili, mamili ka (Just like what General Luna said: nation or self, choose).”