Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday expressed firm opposition to a proposed rule change that would allow fugitive Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to participate in the ongoing Senate impeachment trial via teleconference.
The controversy stemmed from a proposal by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who sought to amend Rule 14 of the Senate Session Rules.
Marcoleta’s amendment would permit senators to attend sessions through video conferencing or similar remote means, provided they have a justifiable reason for their physical absence.
Tulfo, however, strongly rejected the idea, arguing that such digital arrangements were emergency measures reserved strictly for the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Pero ngayon bakit naman hindi po pwede? Kasi kita naman kasi parang gusto nila na kahit saan ka, pwede kang bumuto. Eh wag naman ganun. Di po ba unfair naman po yung mga pumasok. So obligado pong pumasok. Siguro okay pa sa alchemy kung mag-attend ka ng mga hearing-hearing, pwede via i-zoom, dahil baka nasa abroad ka, gusto mo makinig, sumali,” Tulfo told Senate reporters in a phone interview.
But now, why shouldn’t it be allowed? Because it looks like they want it so that wherever you are, you can vote. It shouldn’t be that way. Isn’t it unfair to those who actually showed up? So it should be mandatory to attend physically. Maybe it’s okay with me if you attend committee hearings via Zoom, because you might be abroad and you want to listen or participate.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that the plenary would shoot down the proposal, noting that the minority bloc would likely lead the rejection.
“So I think pag doon lang po sa floor yan, hindi rin po lulusot yan. Dahil talagang sa minority po, sigurado po ako ay hindi po boboto dyan,” Tulfo stated.
So I think if it reaches the floor, it won’t pass either. Because I am sure the minority will definitely not vote for it.
He further clarified that while remote participation became a temporary norm during lockdowns, it is not an institutionalized fixture of current legislative operations.
“Yung teleconference po yun, okay lang yun. Yung panahon po ng pandemic siguro, pwede po yun. Ginagawa po yata. Pero parang wala pong sa rules namin yan at gagawa pa lang po yata ng rules,” he added.
That teleconferencing, that was fine. During the pandemic, I guess that was allowed. I think it was done. But it seems that is not in our rules yet, and they are apparently just about to craft the rules for it.
Under the existing Rule 14, Section 41(b) of the Senate Rules, remote attendance is strictly restricted. It is only permitted during a national emergency, as determined by a majority of the chamber, which physically prevents lawmakers from convening in the session hall.
The issue directly impacts Dela Rosa, who is the only lawmaker who has not yet taken an oath as a judge-senator. The rest of the chamber was sworn in shortly after the Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18.
Dela Rosa, who is currently facing an active International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, made a brief and unexpected appearance at the Senate on May 11 following a six-month absence.
His return was vital in a leadership shakeup that installed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate President, ousting Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who has since assumed the role of Senate Minority Leader.
Two days after the leadership coup, Dela Rosa vanished from the Senate premises, where he had been taking refuge to evade the international warrant while pursuing local legal remedies.