That is, if one is still human enough to feel.
RECENT developments in the upper chamber — concerning the case of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa at the International Criminal Court and the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte — have prompted a string of statements from people and organizations close to, or associated with, at least two sitting senators.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, once a University Student Councillor from UP Diliman, made unprecedented history decades after graduating with a BA in Political Science. The former student leader was able to unite two rival political organizations in calling him out for his actions in the past two weeks.
SAMASA and Nagkaisang Tugon – have jointly demanded Cayetano’s resignation, saying that his actions show a “grave failure of leadership, judgment, and institutional responsibility.”
“Under his watch, the Senate transformed itself from a constitutional institution into a stage for political theater, confusion, and brinkmanship,” the statement read.
“A situation that should have been handled with sobriety, clarity, and respect for legal processes instead escalated into chaos, conflicting statements, armed tension, warning shots, and the eventual disappearance of the very person supposedly under Senate ‘protective custody.’”
Days later, 14 individual members of Ateneo Law Class of 1997 also issued a statement describing the crisis that took place at the Senate. “Regrettably, at the helm of this crisis is a member of [the class]. We therefore appeal to our batchmate…to remember what we were taught in the Ateneo and to adhere to our oath as lawyers and officers of the court.”
His peers asked Cayetano four specific things: to keep only to facts when making pronouncements, to acknowledge that the Senate does not have the power of the sword and must yield to law enforcement, to recognize the limited applicability of parliamentary immunity against arrest as no extending to those with over six years of penalties, and to honor the constitutional provision that the Ombudsman can suspend any public official and request the Senate for assistance and information.
Meanwhile, Senate Loren Legarda’s portrait was taken down from the Wall of Empowered Women of her high school, Assumption San Lorenzo.
“While her past contributions are acknowledged, her recent political actions no longer reflect the values that Assumption upholds,” the Assumption Student Council said in a statement.
The council called upon Legarda to “reflect on the principles she once upheld as a student and as a public figure…she is encouraged to clarify her actions, correct her course, and demonstrate renewed commitment to accountability and justice.”
Once regarded by the school as an alumna of distinction, Legarda is being challenged to “prove that such trust was not misplaced.”
Legarda’s student organization during her undergraduate years, the UP Broadcasting Association, meanwhile said that her actions and her support for Cayetano’s leadership “now stand in contradiction with the principles of accountability, public service, and democratic responsibility that UP students are taught to uphold.”
“We challenge Sen. Legarda to reflect on the values she once claimed to stand for and to ensure that the Senate does not become a sanctuary for impunity nor a bargaining table for political dynasties seeking to preserve power. The Filipino people deserve institutions that act independently and officials willing to place democratic duty above political accommodation,” it added.
Two other organizations lent their voices to remind Legarda of who she once was. TOWNS Foundation, which awarded her as one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service in 1995, said it viewed developments with concern and profound disappointment. Legarda’s decision, it said, sends a painful message that political convenience may prevail over constitutional duty.
“TOWNS women are expected to stand firm in moments precisely like this,” the statement read. “We therefore urge Senator Legarda to reflect deeply on whether her recent actions honor the values for which she was recognized as a TOWNS awardee.”
Finally, 10 artists and 14 poets from Kislap Diwa, which held activities under the patronage of Legarda, lamented that she had presented herself as a defender of culture and the creative life. “Many of us believed her,” they said. “But her recent actions have put this belief in serious doubt.”
“We therefore dissociate ourselves from [Legarda]…We will not accept further invitations to appear, read, or be honored in any capacity associated with her office.”
They added: “This severance is offered without theatrics.”
[Then again, being disowned is nothing new for Senator Legarda. In 2022, no less than her own son Lorenzo (not the congressman, Leandro) Leviste wrote an open letter decrying his mother’s endorsement of fascists during that year’s elections. “I am in utter grief,” said Lorenzo.]
We Filipinos care much about how we are perceived by others. This is magnified when it’s not just “others” but people who are close to us, or whom we hold in high regard. I wonder how Senators Legarda and Cayetano now feel, if it has even crossed their minds to actually stop and reflect on their recent actions and decisions. Or whether they could still remember who they used to be, before they became famous, at a time when they were only driven by their idealism and love for country.
I don’t believe any young politician begins a career aiming to be a sellout, or to be politically spineless, or to be so consumed by personal interest to the detriment of principle. Let this be instructive for many young public servants out there. Perhaps the system has a way of morphing even the most idealistic into the kind of people they used to deride. May their daily actions be guided by fear not to be consumed by the system, and by the hope that they would at least know that they have crossed over, and feel bad or ashamed of their behavior. And then they could still change course.
The ultimate tragedy would be if they can no longer be bothered to reflect on their actions. The consummation of corruption would be failing to see, failing to feel.
adellechua@gmail.com
