Palace rejects online Senate voting push amid Bato dispute

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter and Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel

THE OFFICE of the President on Wednesday said there is no force majeure or national emergency that would justify allowing senators to vote online, after a dispute over proposed virtual voting rules triggered a walkout by minority lawmakers in the Senate.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said online voting had been allowed only during extraordinary situations such as the coronavirus pandemic or natural calamities.

“In this instance, however, we cannot point to any force majeure or calamity that would justify online voting,” Ms. Castro told a news briefing in Tokyo in Filipino.

She said Malacañang would not interfere in Senate proceedings but questioned the basis for changing chamber rules to accommodate remote participation.

“It appears that the rules are actually in order, and they simply want to change them,” she said.

The dispute erupted late on Tuesday after Senator Rodante D. Marcoleta moved to amend Senate rules to allow lawmakers to participate and vote in plenary sessions through teleconferencing.

Minority senators objected to the move and later walked out of the session, arguing that the proposal violated existing rules limiting remote participation to emergencies or force majeure situations.

The proposal emerged as Senator Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa remains in hiding while authorities seek to implement an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity tied to former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Minority lawmakers accused the majority bloc of trying to rush the amendment without following Senate procedure.

“At the time the motion was taken up, there was no duly constituted committee on rules and there was not even an elected Majority Leader who could properly guide a rule amendment through the regular process,” the minority bloc said in a joint statement.

Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel said there had been earlier attempts to allow remote participation for former Senators Leila M. de Lima and Antonio F. Trillanes IV, but these were denied by the Senate.

“There have been precedents where fellow senators asked and were asked to appear online, but they were not granted,” Ms. Hontiveros said in a statement.

She added that senators had only been permitted to participate virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, when plenary sessions were temporarily held through Zoom.

Senate President Alan Peter S. Cayetano earlier said it was acceptable for Mr. dela Rosa to miss sessions because the Senate could not provide protection against arrest.

Ms. Castro questioned whether this justified changing Senate rules.

“This is where Filipinos will have a good opportunity to determine whether these leaders and members of the leadership are truly working for the country or for themselves or only for a select few,” she said.

Mr. dela Rosa resurfaced at the Senate on May 11 after months out of public view to support a leadership change that installed Mr. Cayetano, a Duterte ally, ahead of the impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

After several days under Senate protective custody, Mr. dela Rosa left the chamber with Senator Robinhood C. Padilla following a gun-related standoff involving Senate security personnel and law enforcement officers.

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri also opposed the proposal, saying remote voting without an emergency would undermine Senate tradition and accountability.

“If we agree to the majority’s request, none will come to the floor physically, and we might as well all work from home,” Mr. Zubiri told reporters in a Viber message in Filipino.

Senator Rafael T. Tulfo criticized the proposal as an attempt to give Mr. dela Rosa “special treatment.”

“If ordinary employees commute daily, and endure the traffic and heat just to clock in and get paid, why should we allow any senator to participate in Senate votes via Zoom just because they are hiding?” Mr. Tulfo said in a statement.

The minority bloc’s walkout broke the Senate quorum, prompting Senate President Pro Tempore Lorna Regina “Loren” B. Legarda to adjourn the session.

The Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) urged the Senate to strictly follow its rules and uphold due process in deliberations involving changes to institutional procedures.

“At a time when public trust in institutions is critical, the Senate must continue to demonstrate credibility, impartiality, transparency and respect for established processes,” Finex said in a statement. It added that these principles strengthen public confidence and protect the integrity of democratic institutions.

FINEX also said physical presence and direct participation remain important elements of accountability and transparency in Senate proceedings.

“Any proposal to institutionalize electronic or remote voting should therefore undergo careful study, broad consultation and clear safeguards to ensure that public trust, institutional integrity and the quality of deliberations are preserved,” it added.