Blame the voters for not-too-good legislators
When I listen to the deliberations in Congress and hear a congressman who does not know how to raise a point of order, my heart bleeds with sadness for our country, especially if that legislator is from Visayas or Mindanao or, worse, from Cebu. Observers from Luzon would sarcastically ask: From what district and province is that incompetent congressman? Mastery of parliamentary procedure is one of the qualifications of a Congress member. When Congressmen Eddie Gullas, Tony Cuenco and Pabling Garcia were in the House, I proudly tell my students in the colleges of law in Metro Manila that I come from Cebu. Today, I am sorry that I can no longer say that. With due respect to our legislators, this is a sincere feedback from your constituents.
The quality of parliamentary demeanor in plenary sessions, committee deliberations, public hearings, and inquiries has deteriorated to an embarrassing level. Members of both Senate and House do not even behave as what expected of parliamentarians. Many are talking while another member is delivering a privilege speech. Others are using their phones while a resource person is interrogated, while some are pacing around while sessions are going on. Most are prone to badger, intimidate and harass invited officials during investigations in aid of legislation. Others are eating while committee hearings are going on. These are the signs of the quality of legislators we have.
The golden years of Cebuano legislators were the times of Don Filemon and Don Vicente Sotto, Don Vicente Rama, Don Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. The times when to be a senator or congressman was an embodiment of legal wisdom, parliamentary excellence, dignity and honor that inspired and awed the Filipinos. I remembered a privilege speech delivered by Congressman Eddiegul about labor and social issues.It was well-researched, with the contents and language the epitome of parliamentary excellence. I also heard the speech of Cuenco on drugs, and the interrogations by Pabling on the Mamasapano. They inspired and awed me. Today, I do not hear such level of parliamentary excellence.
How are congressmen today chosen and what criteria the voters have when they go to the polls? They vote for one who is endorsed by their barangay captain or mayor, who stood as their wedding sponsor, or recommended their children to work as casuals or job order workers. They vote on the basis of patronage and transactional politics, choosing one who caused the construction of basketball courts and waiting shades(Why don't they just send the contractor to Congress?). They elect one who distributed school supplies and bags of goodies during calamities and disasters, or those who make them laugh, not those who inspired them. Parliamentary competence has nothing to do with it.
So they have no right to complain on the deterioration of the level of excellence in our legislative system today. They were the ones who sent this kind of representatives, after all.
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