Senatefix

Whether you're a journalist covering the Senate, a kibitzer watching our topsy-turvy political arena or among the millions of Filipino citizens concerned about the state of our nation, you must surely have felt exhausted by the drama that unfolded in the chamber.

- IRIS GONZALES

How could it not be tiring?

First, there was a controversial voting, a senator-in-hiding who resurfaced for that vote, a cat-and-mouse chase between him and authorities, gunshots, a lockdown, erstwhile Senate president Alan Peter Cayetano lashing out at Senate employees, his sister raising emotional decibels days after the gunfire... ah, I can go on and on.

And now it seems the mayhem is over and the dust has settled.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian says the Senate-flix is over and the chamber is back to normal programming of legislative work.

Hopefully, his term will be less chaotic and controversial than Cayetano’s, which lasted only from May 11 to June 3.

And that the Senate will truly get back to work. Gatchalian said he would do in-depth research before fine-tuning provisions of pending bills.

Taking the Senate hostage

Aside from the regular legislative work, all eyes are on the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The credibility of the Senate is at stake here. It must prove to its critics, especially Duterte’s allies, that it can conduct a credible and independent - to the extent possible — impeachment trial.

Of course, the Duterte bloc and its supporters have claimed that Malacañang has effectively taken the Senate hostage by dangling potential cases over senators like the sword of Damocles.

This way, they would be pressured to switch sides and abandon the pro-Duterte camp.

Oh, but that’s really not something new or outrageous in our banana republic, is it? C’mon. Who are we kidding?