A BUSINESS group on Wednesday urged the Senate to follow established rules and due process after proposed changes prompted a walkout by members of the minority bloc.
“The Senate must continue to demonstrate credibility, impartiality, transparency and respect for established processes,” the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) said in a statement.
“These principles strengthen public confidence and uphold the integrity of democratic institutions,” it added.
The majority on Tuesday attempted to amend the chamber’s rules to allow senators to attend sessions remotely. Minority legislators questioned what they called a rushed change and asked if it was meant to benefit fugitive legislator Ronald dela Rosa and other senators who could soon be arrested over allegations of plunder and other crimes.
The minority bloc subsequently walked out, and the subsequent lack of quorum forced the Senate to adjourn.
“Physical presence and direct participation remain important to accountability and transparency,” Finex said, noting that in-person debate, active engagement and visible participation by senators benefit the chamber’s “critical constitutional role.”
“Any proposal to institutionalize electronic or remote voting should therefore undergo careful study, broad consultation and clear safeguards to ensure that public trust, institutional integrity and the quality of deliberation are preserved,” it added.
“Maintaining public confidence in democratic institutions remains vital to economic stability, investor confidence and national progress.”
The rule change would have helped secure the majority’s hold on the Senate as dela Rosa’s absence had narrowed its active membership to 12, below the minimum of 13 required for a quorum.
Control of the chamber changed earlier this month after dela Rosa — who had spent months in hiding following reports that he was to be arrested due to his participation in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs — surfaced and helped oust the former majority.
The new majority is seen as allied with Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who has been impeached by the House of Representatives and is set to be tried by the Senate in July over allegations of fund misuse; graft, corruption and bribery; unexplained wealth; and plotting to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Following the Senate coup, the Finex and other business groups called on the Senate to “fulfill its constitutional duty” and conduct a “fair, impartial and transparent trial based on the evidence and the law.”
At least two-thirds, or 16 of the 24 members of the Senate, have to vote “guilty” to secure a conviction. THE MANILA TIMES
