Politics over and above crisis
To those who will eventually emerge from all this suffering caused by the coronavirus, a few things might be worth remembering. One is the name Risa Hontiveros. This senator is the only one of 20 colleagues who voted not to give the president special powers to swiftly and massively deal with this deadly unseen enemy.
The president may be the most powerful man in the country. But to prevent any abuse of his powers, there are lawful limits to his exercise of them. Such limits can hamper his ability to effectively deal with challenges in an emergency. Hence the need for Congress to free him up for the sake of the country. But of the 326 members of both chambers of the 18th Congress, 10 chose not to give the president what he needs to deal with the situation.
One of the 10 is Hontiveros, the nine others being mostly leftists from the Lower House who, as expected, decided not to side with the suffering masses but stuck to their jaded political agenda of always undermining the leadership, regardless of who may be the sitting leader, ever proud of their hollow claim to the longest-running so-called rebellion in the world.
Explaining her no vote, Hontiveros said the president does not need special powers, only political will. Hontiveros is not only mired in her cheap politics, she does not get her law as well. Or maybe she wants to lay a trap for the president so that if he exceeds his authority, he can be pursued later, in which case she is still politicking. Why, she and the nine of her ilk in the House even had their picture taken after voting no. For shame.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, a partymate of Hontiveros, was better. I have never liked Pangilinan, but at least, when pressed to make a very tough choice, he knew exactly where he had to go. Between politics and a suffering people, he went for the latter. He voted with reservations, but still yes nevertheless.
Raul del Mar, the congressman from Cebu City north, and a Liberal partymate of Hontiveros and Pangilinan, also voted yes, having the integrity of character that makes him willing to set aside politics for the greater good. This is an extraordinary time, Del Mar said, a time that not even the framers of the constitution ever imagined. The giving of supremacy to the national interest is above all other considerations, he said.
How heartening, that in this time of fear and uncertainty, we can still depend on our leaders, with the shameful exception of Hontiveros and the House 9, to think and act beyond their political interests to vote for country. Of 24 senators, four did not vote: Franklin Drilon (playing safe), Imee Marcos (sensitive to special powers issue), Koko Pimentel (big mystery), and Leila de Lima (but of course).
The 12 senators in plenary all voted yes: Vicente Sotto III, Sherwin Gatchalian, Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Francis Tolentino, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Manny Pacquiao, Grace Poe, Ralph Recto, Bong Revilla, Rchard Gordon. Voted yes by phone: Bato dela Rosa, Migs Zubiri, Ed Angara, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, and Pangilinan. Again, the lone, the only no vote in the Senate in this time of crisis: Risa Hontiveros.
‘Hontiveros is not only mired in her cheap politics, she does not get her law as well.’