Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian Speaks amid Issues in Senate
SHERWIN GATCHALIAN – The Senator claimed that the daily expenses of the Senate for its operation allegedly reaches P25 million.
Recently, two (2) Senate plenary sessions did not push through due to the absence of the majority bloc. Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano was one of the senators who skipped the session.
On Monday, the majority senators were no show in the Senate plenary hall for the session. Some of them accompanied Sen. Jinggoy Estrada who voluntarily surrendered himself to the authorities amid the graft and plunder charges filed against him.
Estrada is being accused of alleged multi-million flood control corruption. According to the Office of the Ombudsman, there was supposedly a systematic delivery of flood control kickback amounting to at least P573 million to the Senator.
Estrada denied the allegations and tagged it as persecution. According to him, the proceedings in the cases against some majority senators supposedly sped up following the change in the Senate leadership.
The chamber is now led by Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano after former SP Tito Sotto was ousted. The former Senate Chief believes that his ouster may be related to the possible impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte who was recently impeached by the House of Representatives for the second time around.
Amid the criticisms, Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that they are allegedly using the rules to ensure that the committees remain under the majority senators. According to him, their actions are in line with the pursuit of pushing through with an inquiry of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the flood control corruption on Thursday.
The absence of the majority senators did not sit well with the minority bloc. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian recently claimed that the money of the people is being wasted with what is happening now.
Based on News5, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian stressed that the money used for the salaries of the senators are wasted if the working hours will not be used for work. According to Gatchalian, the expenses of the Senate allegedly reach P25 million daily. He said the amount includes the operational costs for the power supply, the salaries of the senators and staff, and the utilities among many others.
“Sayang ang ipinapasahod ng taumbayan kung hindi nagagamit ang oras ng Senado sa trabaho,” Gatchalian said based on the post.
Recently, Sen. Raffy Tulfo confirmed the willingness of the minority bloc to accept the majority senators who want to join them — except for Cayetano.