President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has called on senators to resume their legislative duties, warning that recent events inside the upper chamber have halted government work and damaged the institution’s credibility.
Speaking to journalists during an impromptu interview in Manila on Wednesday, June 3, Marcos stressed that lawmakers must prioritize their responsibilities and tackle a mountain of pending legislation.
”Get back to work. Because it’s important, ang dami nating kailangang gawin,” the President said.
The Chief Executive’s remarks followed consecutive cancellations of plenary sessions on June 1 and 2, triggered by the failure of majority bloc members to attend.
Marcos observed that the ongoing turmoil has generated instability and cast a negative shadow over the chamber’s hierarchy.
”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.
Expressing his confusion over the situation, the President pointed out that while the executive and judicial branches are operating normally, only the legislative branch has ground to a halt.
”The two other departments continue to work. The Executive continues to work. The Judiciary continues to work. Why does the Legislature decide to stop working? I don’t understand that,” he added.
Marcos also scrutinized the rationale behind the back-to-back session cancellations, arguing that escorting a colleague during an arrest is not a valid excuse to freeze legislative functions.
He raised procedural red flags, noting that official regulations mandate proper notification and weightier grounds before halting sessions.
”Ang rules diyan bago ka mag-cancel ng session, you have to inform the other house three days before you cancel a session, and there has to be a very good reason for canceling a session,” Marcos said.
”I don’t think na ihahatid mo ang isang senador para pumunta kung saan siya pupunta, hindi yata sapat na dahilan ‘yan para i-cancel ang isang session. Isang session lang yon, ngayon kanselado na naman ang isang session. Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung paano sila magtatrabaho kung ganito,” he added.
The legislative paralysis stems from political friction within the chamber following the June 1 arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada on the Senate grounds over plunder charges.