MANILA — Senate President Francis Escudero on Tuesday said Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros was correct in urging former President Rodrigo Duterte to stop cursing during the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee on his war on drugs on Monday.
Senators, who had promised to accord Duterte courtesy as a former president, gave him leeway on Monday to talk about the bloody anti-narcotics campaign.
Duterte made side comments and, at times, cursed, saying that was just how he is.
“Magandang pinoint out ni Senator Risa na OA yung pagmumura at walang lugar ‘yan dito sa Senado,” Escudero said.
(It was good that Senator Risa pointed out that the cursing was too much and has no place at the Senate)
In his defense, Duterte said that he was only retelling past conversations and that he had cursed during the incidents that he was recounting, but Escudero said that that didn’t seem to be the case in some instances that the former president let loose his signature curse words.
“Magandang na-point out ‘yun ni Sen. Risa dahil ayaw kong mamanhid ang Senado o ang lipunan o tayong lahat na isiping nating okay lang ‘yun,” Escudero said.
(It is good that Sen. Risa pointed that out because I do not want the Senate, or society, or all of us, to be desensitized to that and think that that is OK)
“‘Di okay yun, ah (That is not OK),” the Senate president said.
‘UNPARLIAMENTARY’
The Rules of the Senate prohibit members from using “offensive or improper language against another Senator or against any public institution.”
Senators have also called out resource speakers for comments and statements that they found offensive.
In May, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada traded barbs with former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agent Jonathan Morales for bringing up his conviction — since reversed — for bribery.
In September 2022, Sen. Robinhood Padilla scolded Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega for appearing to smirk and making an apparent reference to a Padilla movie during questioning at a budget hearing.
“Ako po ay senador ng Pilipinas eh, galangin po niya ako,” he said then.
(I am a senator of the Philippines, he should respect me)
‘NO EXCESSIVE COURTESY’
Despite Duterte’s use of offensive language during his testimony before the panel, Escudero believes there was no excessive grant of courtesy to the former leader.
“Hindi naman. Nilagay din siya sa lugar niya kaugnay sa kung kailan siya puwede magsalita at hindi puwedeng magsalita,” he said.
Escudero believes Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who led the probe as subcommittee head, did a good job.
“Hindi madali ang papel na ginampanan ni Sen. Koko kahapon. At para sa akin nagawa at ginawa niya sa abot ng kaniyang makakaya ang pag-chair at pag-preside sa hearing na ‘yun.”
(Sen. Koko’s role yesterday was not easy and, for me, he chaired and presided over the hearing as best he could)
The Senate president added that just having Duterte at the hearing to discuss alleged extrajudicial killings under oath was itself an achievement.
In a statement on Monday, rights alliance Karapatan said that Duterte had turned the Senate proceedings into “a platform for his usual expletive-laced rants” and a “three-ring circus.”
The group said that Duterte’s statements offered nothing new from the former leader, “just the usual Duterte who curses through his answers when he squirms his way out of responsibility.”
Karapatan added that the Senate allowing Duterte free rein at the inquiry would “derail the objective of determining and exacting accountability for the tens of thousands of killings under the war on drugs.”
Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raoul Manuel, on social media, said “being a former [president] is not a license to waste the time of the Filipino people.” (RG Cruz, abs-cbn)
