President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. expressed concern over the growing tensions inside the Senate, including the recent shooting incident that he described as “fake.”
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his state visit to Japan, Marcos, a former senator, lamented what he called the decline in the quality of discussions in the Senate, saying debates have become personal and shallow.
“I watched with horror… that the Senate has become this,” Marcos said.
The President recalled his time as a senator alongside Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, saying incidents similar to the current tensions were unheard of during their term.
“Madalas kaming nagtitinginan ni Ralph—ganito ba tayo? Ganyan ba tayo nung senador tayo? Hindi tayo ganyan. Paano nangyari ‘yun? ‘Yung Senado hindi na kagaya nung panahon natin. Dahil nagpepersonalan na eh. Naging personal, ang babaw na ng usapan,” he said.
Marcos also reacted to the reported shooting incident involving the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“Tapos narating pa tayo sa putukan. Tapos fake pala ‘yung putukan… Hindi ko maintindihan. Walang nangyayaring kagaya niyan nung panahon ko sa Senado,” he said.
“I never imagined that the Senate would descend into this kind of what’s happening right now,” he added.
The President said he hopes senators would eventually find a way to resolve the situation and restore order within the institution.
