President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday the executive department is examining possible legal and constitutional remedies to address the ongoing situation in the Senate, while emphasizing that any solution would require the cooperation of Senate leaders.
Speaking to reporters, Marcos said his administration is reviewing provisions of the law and the Constitution to determine what actions may be available.
“We are examining all our options. We are looking at the law, we are looking at the Constitution and to see how we can remedy the situation,” Marcos said when asked whether the executive branch could intervene.
Despite this, the President underscored the limits of executive authority over the legislature, stressing that the Senate remains an independent and co-equal branch of government.
“But it requires the cooperation and the commitment of the Senate leadership to continue with their work. Otherwise, the executive is co-equal only to the legislature,” he said.
“We cannot tell them what to do, we cannot punish them for what they are doing. They have to regulate themselves,” Marcos added.
The President also expressed dissatisfaction with how the Senate has been handling its internal affairs.
“They haven’t been doing much of a good job right now,” he said.
Marcos’ remarks came after he urged Senate majority members to “get back to work” following their absence from Senate plenary sessions for two days.
The absences occurred after Senator Jinggoy Estrada was arrested in connection with a plunder case linked to the alleged flood control scandal.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s assertion that recent developments involving the Senate reflect a struggle for the chamber’s independence, following his call for the minority bloc to defend the institution amid political tensions.
Cayetano made the statement on Monday after the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who is facing plunder charges, urging members of the Senate minority to stand for the Senate’s autonomy as a "co-equal branch" of government.
The President also criticized the cancellation of Senate sessions for reasons such as accompanying a fellow senator to an event, saying such actions do not justify suspending legislative work.
