Incoming senator Dela Rosa seeks lawmaking seminars

Rappler.com | May 15, 2019

With more than 18 million votes, first-time senatorial candidate Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa is poised to
land a Senate seat.

But the former Philippine National Police chief admitted that he doesn't know what his new position
entails, adding that he would seek out seminars on lawmaking and ask advice from other senators.

"Ewan ko kung meron bang seminar d'yan, or ano bang training d'yan para matutuhan ko kung paano
gawin 'yung batas, kung paano gawin 'yung trabaho sa Senado. Kung merong gano'n I'll take that
opportunity para matuto ako," he said in an on Tuesday, May 14.

But he added that he would not take seminars at the University of the Philippines because it was "anti-
military" and "anti-police."

Instead, the first-time senator said he would seek out reelectionist Senators Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III
and Joseph Victor Ejercito for their advice on what a lawmaker does.

Dela Rosa has openly spoken about his lack of legislative experience before.

In a campaign speech in February, he said that his experience as an enforcer of the law will make up for
his lack of knowledge in lawmaking. He has also said that his legislative work would focus on peace,
order, and security.

Lacson: Bato del Rosa to undergo ‘plebehood’ in Senate

Philippine Daily Inquirer| May 16, 2019

Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who banked heavily on President Duterte’s support for his Senate bid, could
count on the help of another former boss in his new job.

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday, May 15, assured Dela Rosa, who served under him when he
headed the Philippine National Police, that he would be apprised of his new responsibilities once he was
officially sworn in as senator.

“Bato need not worry. He will undergo another period of plebehood under my supervision since we are
both in the majority bloc,” Lacson told the Inquirer in a text message.

Tips or lectures

Lacson said the Senate had been offering lectures to rookie senators and that he had attended one
when he first joined the 24-member chamber 18 years ago.

“We will be meeting with the new members and give them some tips or lectures,” said Lacson, who was
also Dela Rosa’s upperclassman in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Lacson belongs to PMA Class 1971 while Dela Rosa is a member of PMA Class 1986.

Beyond legislation: Powers, roles of Philippine lawmakers

Beyond the elections, we see these legislators fight it out in plenary over proposed bills. But beyond the
debates that often turn controversial – and in some cases, circus-like – what are the powers of members
of Congress? What can they do?

Making and debating measures

Members of Congress, essentially, are the primary makers of laws.

According to Section 1 of Article VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution: “The legislative power shall be
vested in the Congress of the Philippines which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives,
except to the extent reserved to the people by the provision on initiative and referendum.”

There are several types of measures Congress can create, including bills, joint resolutions, concurrent
resolutions, and simple resolutions.
Legislators grouped in committees conduct hearings and consultation meetings to improve or pass a
proposed bill. Those outside the group can also discuss any proposed bill in plenary before it is voted
upon.

These debates during plenary are very important because they ideally give a chance for others to
scrutinize the proposed bill before it is passed.

Once approved, a law can affect not just the government’s function but the life of every Filipino. It is
also vital that it adheres to the Constitution.

A bill then becomes law when it is signed by the president.

Other responsibilities

Aside from lawmaking, Congress is also given several powers and responsibilities in certain situations.

Congress' role in exacting accountability is crucial as legislators play a part in checking on possible
excesses by the executive and judicial branches of government.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides many instances when Congress can invoke this power:

1. Congress has the power to remove from office impeachable government officials, including the
President, Vice President, members of the Supreme Court, members of constitutional commissions, and
the Ombudsman.

The House of Representatives can tackle impeachment complaints and submit the resolution setting the
Articles of Impeachment. The Senate, meanwhile, decides on cases of impeachment in a full-blown trial.

2. Congress has the “sole power to declare the existence of a state of war,” according to Section 23
Article VI of the Constitution. A vote of two-thirds of both Houses, voting separately, is needed.

SECTION 23. (1) The Congress, by a vote of two-thirds of both Houses in joint session assembled, voting
separately, shall have the sole power to declare the existence of a state of war.

3. Congress can revoke the President’s proclamation of martial law by a vote of at least a majority of all
members of the Senate and the House. If requested, Congress can also extend the period of martial law
beyond the mandated 60 days.

ART. 7, SECTION 18.The Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majority of all its Members in
regular or special session, may revoke such proclamation or suspension, which revocation shall not be set
aside by the President. Upon the initiative of the President, the Congress may, in the same manner,
extend such proclamation or suspension for a period to be determined by the Congress, if the invasion or
rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it.

4. Congress may authorize the President to exercise powers to carry out a declared national policy “for a
limited period and subject to restrictions" in times of war or other national emergency.

5. Congressional committees can conduct hearings "in aid of legislation” on various issues that affect the
nation and release a report based on findings. For example, the Senate committee in August 2018
conducted a hearing on the TRAIN law's impact on inflation amid rising prices of commodities.

6. Congress is also involved in the national budget process. It can decide whether or not to add or
reduce a government agency’s budget, effectively overseeing budget appropriations and being on guard
against suspected corruption. This, however, may lead to several clashes, as seen in the 2019 budget
that was just passed on Friday, February 8, after months of delay.

7. Congress, through the Commission on Appointments, can approve or reject some key appointments
made by the president to government agencies.

ART.6, SECTION 18. There shall be a Commission on Appointments consisting of the President of the
Senate, as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators and twelve Members of the House of Representatives,
elected by each House on the basis of proportional representation from the political parties and parties
or organizations registered under the party-list system represented therein.

8. Congress needs to concur with any amnesty granted by the president, according to Section 19, Article
VII of the Constitution. A vote of majority of all members is needed.
9. Congress is heavily involved in starting charter change. It can either convene into a Constituent
Assembly (through a vote of three-fourths of all members) and propose both amendments and
revisions, or call for an election of members of a Constitutional Convention (vote of two-thirds of its
members).

Efforts of a legislator

The late senator and health secretary Juan Flavier, in his pamphlet, “Now That You Are a Senator: An
Introduction to Organizing the Work of a Senator of the Republic of the Philippines,” which he used to
distribute to neophyte senators, summarized the roles of legislators in 4 “main overlapping but slightly
different functions”:

 Lawmaking
 Public advocacy
 Constituency building
 Government oversight

There are a lot of expectations of a legislator that go beyond what legal documents such as the
Constitution states.

According to Flavier: “A senator cannot do everything, for everyone, every time. A senator must be
selective. The choice of matters to attend to – as well as the manner in which that choice is made –
demonstrates a senator’s wisdom.”

The upcoming campaign period will see 62 senatorial candidates do their best to join the winning magic
12. The lower chamber, meanwhile, has no more than 250 representative seats that should be filled
come May 13, 2019.

Will members of the Senate and the House of Representatives adhere to their roles and fulfill their
responsibilities?

‘A senator must act with integrity’

Former Sen Juan Flavier, July 20, 2013

Roles of a senator

A senator’s major role is as legislator. As an elected public official representing the aspirations of the
greater majority, a senator is expected to participate actively, not only at the committee level, but
particularly during floor deliberations.

Experience has shown that the extent and the intensity to which a senator plays this role hinge largely
on his or her intended career path. For instance, if at the outset a senator has decided to serve for only
one term, then he or she is most likely to be more assertive and “combative” during debates and
deliberations even to the point of becoming unpopular.

Since senators have the entire nation as their constituency, they tackle issues of national concern. A
senator, therefore, is seen as an instrument towards consensus building on major issues/concerns
affecting Filipinos nationwide.

As such, a senator is expected to be knowledgeable on almost all issues. People usually ask a senator for
an opinion on even the most trivial issues.

Responding to both geographical and sectoral constituencies is another function of a senator. Unlike the
congressmen whose constituency is limited to a specific district, senators are expected to address
problems that either encompass the entire Filipino people, or affect specific geographical or sectoral
bounds.

Each senator defines his or her unique role in relation to – among other things – personal ideas, the
conventions of the legislature, specific demands of the times, and interactions with other national
leaders. A senator performs at least 4 main overlapping, but slightly different functions:

1. Lawmaking
A senator files bills that could become laws, and contributes to the progressive formulation, enrichment
and refinement of laws from filed bills as a member or chairman of committees and as a participant in
Senate plenary deliberations.

Chairmanship of a Senate committee is an especially important aspect of lawmaking. The committee a

senator heads is a powerbase in legislative work.

In the area of concern covered by the committee, the senator expands his authority and influence
through the following:

a) Determining the specific bills and items the Senate will take up. This depends on the bills the
senator reports out of the committee;

b) Shaping the public reception of the bills in the committee. This is determined by how the public
hearings are set up and publicized;

c) Specifying the initial formulation of the bill to be taken up in the Senate plenary deliberations he
or she may have introduced;

d) Participating as part of the Senate contingent to the bicameral conference committee

In order to exercise these influences on legislation, the senator as committee chairman:

a) Decides which bills to keep in the committee and which bills to attend to and report out to the
Senate floor;

b) Decides on the number, schedule, setting, participation and conduct of the public hearings of
the committee;

c) Presides over committee hearings and meetings;

d) Initiates and conducts investigations, inquiries and studies on matters of interest to the
committee, in aid of legislation.

2. Public advocacy

A senator speaks up publicly and influences people. A senator explains, sells proposals, supports or
opposes ideas, comments on issues, and promotes causes. A senator does this via the Senate floor, in
the office, before audiences or via the media. A senator issues media releases or is quoted by other
observers.

3. Constituency Building

A senator represents groups of people and their notions of what the whole nation stands for. A senator
listens to groups articulating their views, consults with many people, and keeps in touch with an ever-
changing circle of allies and sympathizers.

A senator refers, recommends, or endorses on their behalf and puts them in touch with others who can
promote their causes.

4. Government Oversight

A senator meddles with the rest of the government, primarily the executive and the judiciary. He or she
looks over the shoulders of public officials, monitors their public acts. The senator identifies issues and
concerns of public interest, maintains his dialogue with officials and informants, and periodically uses his
or her office to call attention to one thing or another.

Over and above these, a senator also:

a) Manages the Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) [Editor’s note: This is now called the Priority
Development Assistance Fund or PDAF]

b) Creates impact on the implementation of programs and projects

c) Attends to social obligations such as speaking engagements, inaugurations, weddings, etc.

It is also incumbent upon the senator and his or her office staff to get acquainted with the Senate rules
and regulations, both written and unwritten. Also, it is advisable to request a briefing from the heads
and/or technical staff of the different executive agencies on their major activities.

Particular attention may be given to agencies whose areas of concern are within the scope and interest
and expertise of the senator.

Managing the Roles

There is synergism among the senator’s 4 main functions. One starts where the other ends. The better a
senator does in one area, the stronger his or her impact is on another.

The demand on a senator’s time, energy, and influence will always be greater than the available supply.
Constituents, allies, enemies, interest groups, and all sorts of people will make a claim on the senator’s
attention, effort, and political clout. It will be physically taxing.

So a critical skill the senator will have to personally exercise is that of prioritizing. There seems to be 4
levels of effort a senator can exert:

a) At the highest level or effort a senator can initiate, lead or champion an issue or concern;

b) A senator can significantly influence or affect an issue by his support or opposition;

c) A senator can simply go along with how an issue is resolved without extra effort;

d) A senator can be indifferent and trade off an issue in favor of others more important to him or
her.

A senator cannot do everything, for everyone, every time. A senator must be selective. The choice of
matters to attend to – as well as the manner in which that choice is made – demonstrates a senator’s
wisdom.