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Look at some of the people whom we have elected in the Senate and compare them to the ones we had in 1950s or 60s and will realize that the future is bleak
AFEW weeks ago, one of our beaches, the Entalula Beach in El Nido was adjudged as the best beach in the world which as always is a distinct honor for the country.
This, however, was followed by that chaotic incident in our Senate building that resulted in several gunshots being fired which landed our country as headline news in many major TV outlets around the world.
We Filipinos always seem to be able to find a way of shooting ourselves on the foot.
We have seen fist fights among lawmakers in other countries happening but the multiple exchange of gunfire inside the halls of our senate building is the first time in our history.
As a result, we have not only become the laughing stock in this part of the world but foreign investors, tourists and everyone else are having second thoughts about visiting our country.
The IMF also did something that it has never done to any other country before.
It urged our officials to steal less so that prospective investors will not skip or flee the country.
This is the same as saying huwag naman nyong nakawin lahat. Nakakahiya na talaga tayo. Yet, those in the Senate seem to think that it is business as usual as if nothing has happened
We might never be able to find out what really happened in the Senate building that day like what precipitated the so-called warning shots and the subsequent response.
This is because there seems to be a code of silence among some of the participants like Mao Aplasca and members of the new Senate majority.
Senator Alan Cayetano has been coy about his participation with regard to Bato dela Rosa being there and casting his vote to help stage a leadership coup making him the new Senate President?
Senator Robin Padilla for his part has been evasive when asked about driving Bato out of the Senate building.
A lot more have happened since that ruckus of last Wednesday night with Bato dela Rosa departing or escaping from the Senate building depending which story one believes.
The Senate has also convened as an impeachment court to try VP Sara Duterte which might partially shift public attention away from the search for Bato dela Rosa and finding out what really happened in the Senate last week.
But this is doubtful considering that searching for fugitives especially when that person is a senator and a retired four-star police general always generates public interest.
Regardless of what the Supreme Court will eventually decide, whether to grant a TRO in favor of Bato or not, the legal debates regarding his case continues unabated.
And since this is a country overflowing with lawyers, the airwaves is being flooded with too many legal opinions which is suffocating everyone.
There is no denying, however, that the impeachment of VP Duterte is equally important.
But as we have seen so far, the Senate only started with the preliminaries and not the actual trial which will in all probability start sometime in June.
Hopefully, Bato could be found before that to focus the nation’s attention on the impeachment whose result will have a profound effect on our future political development.
In spite of some views that the outcome of the trial will be based solely on the evidence, there are some quarters that do not think so.
This group holds the view that the Senate leadership coup was mounted for the purpose of ensuring an acquittal.
This maybe so but the whole nation is now watching every senator-judge. 2028 after all is really not that far away and many of the senators will be standing for reelection.
They will have to be careful. There are also other external factors that could change the Senate’s dynamics during the trial. It is therefore perhaps better to simply reserve judgment till it’s over.
Regardless of what will happen, that Senate spectacle last week will forever remain as a huge black eye for the country.
Our great political leaders of the past must all be turning in their graves with what is happening to our poor country.
But what can we really expect if we keep on electing such characters to public office?
We have only ourselves to blame.
Just look at some of the people whom we have elected in the Senate and compare them to the ones we had in 1950s or 60s and will realize that the future is bleak.
