Protocols 101 for senators and senatoriables

It disgusts me as a Filipino, and even exasperates my guts to see that I am living in a country where many highly placed public officials, despite their lofty positions, still do not know the fundamentals on how to behave in a proper and appropriate manner. Somebody has to teach them the basics of social graces.

If Secretary Benhur Abalos wants to be elected senator, he should have avoided having a selfie smiling with an alleged alien woman who is facing multiple crimes that make a mockery of our legal and justice system. As DILG secretary, he is the symbol of peace and order and law and justice, while the woman she had a photo session with is being barraged with many charges of multiple offenses. If Senator Lito Lapid wants to be reelected, he should stop appearing on TV with Coco Martin and focus on his job as a legislator. He has to explain to the Filipinos about why Pogo proliferated Porac, his own hometown, instead of being mysteriously silent about it all.

If Senator Imee Marcos wants to retain her seat in the Senate come 2025, she should set an example by not campaigning early through TV ads that cost millions while hundreds of thousands of her constituents are suffering from unmitigated poverty, especially those who have just been hit by Typhoon Enteng. Congresswoman Camille Villar should not push too hard her premature campaigning ahead of many more qualified candidates. Is she not contented with her mother and her brother already members of the Philippine Senate? Why don't the Villars give other a chance instead of using their superior financial muscles as ticket to the Upper Chamber.

Senator Bato de la Rosa, a former PNP Chief is attacking an incumbent PNP official based in Davao City for merely trying to implement a warrant issued by a proper court. He is using his powers as a senator to investigate allegedly in aid of legislation in order to make it extremely for law-enforcement officers to perform their duties. If such acts cannot be considered obstruction of justice, I do not know what is. By making statement that obviously favor the camp of a fugitive of justice, Senator Bato, as an incumbent senator, may be leaning towards a violation of his oath to execute the laws of the republic. He is fueling the emotions of the Davao people and he made the PNP, his own institution, looks bad.

If Baste Duterte is running for senator because his father wants to be mayor again, then he should show to the Filipinos that he has all the competence of a member of that august body, that he will perform better than their poster boy, Senator Robinhood Padilla. Mayor Baste should show that he can perform better than Senators Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid. The people in this country may be crazy at times to prefer these people to such legal luminaries as Dick Gordon, Chel Diokno and Kiko Pangilinan. But perhaps the time should now come already for Filipinos to wake up and use their coconuts.

Let us stop sending people to the Senate just because they can dance the "budot" or they look good as fighter in "Probinsyano." Choosing senators is not a joke. We should get serious when it comes to the Senate. We can play around in choosing aliens as mayors or allow family dynasties to control the LGUs. But when it comes to the Senate, this is not a laughing matter. Or else, the whole world cannot stop laughing at us as a people. For once, let's get serious.