Zubiri to be ‘more assertive’ in maintaining decorum in Senate

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday said he will be “more assertive” in maintaining proper decorum in the chamber.

At the Kapihan sa Senado, Zubiri said he already talked with former Senate President Franklin Drilon who advised him to “draw the line” as the prestige and the credibility of the Senate were supposedly being eroded due to the apparent lack of decorum on the part of certain senators.

“If you noticed, I did not react [to former Senator Drilon’s statement]. I do not react because I highly respect the advice of [former] Senator Drilon. Mahal na mahal ko ‘yan,” Zubiri said.

“Hindi po ako napikon nu’ng sinabi niya iyon. I took it as payo ng mas nakakatandang kapatid and then I messaged him… I told [former] Senator Drilon ‘I fully note your concern, Tito frank’ and I said 'We will do better when we come back,'” the Senate chief added.

He told reporters that he always reminds his colleagues to settle down whenever it is becoming “noisy and unruly” but this time, Zubiri said he will “be a bit more assertive.”

“Pag medyo maingay don sa likod, sa VIP section, I will suspend session already. Even if there’s [ongoing] discussion, I will suspend session so our colleagues will know na medyo hindi na tama ‘yung masyadong maingay,” he said.

“At the same time, it gives them time to discuss. Mag-usap na kayo for five minutes ano kailangan niyo pag-usapan. Pag start ng session, I will already make sure that I will call those who are unruly—not unruly but noisy behavior,” he added.

Zubiri cited “revenge visit” as one of the reasons why the noise inside the session hall is remarkable.

“Ang problema nagka-revenge visit sa Senate. Two years walang pasok [due to the pandemic]. Ngayon pag session maraming gustong pumunta,” the Senate chief said.

But he said he already instructed the Senate Office of Sergeant-at-Arms to be mindful of the rules and proper decorum last week.

Neophyte Senator Robin Padilla previously defended senators from criticisms over a supposed lack of decorum affecting the image of the Senate, as he himself came under fire for combing his mustache during a hearing.

He said the leadership had been consistent in reminding senators to listen and be mindful of the quorum.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, meanwhile, said senators should be aware of their actions and words to maintain proper decorum in the chamber, especially in the age of social media. —VAL, GMA Integrated News