President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has opposed a proposal allowing online voting in the Senate, saying it could unfairly benefit Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is reportedly in hiding amid an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
Marcos said the Senate only permitted virtual participation during the COVID-19 pandemic due to health risks, and argued there is no longer justification for such a setup.
“I do not see any particularly good reason for us to allow it now,” Marcos said, noting he served as a senator before becoming president.
He said the proposal appeared tailored to enable dela Rosa to vote despite his absence.
“It seems that it will only be applicable to Senator Bato, para makaboto si Senator Bato dahil nagtatago siya. For someone who is actually a fugitive from justice… palagay ko hindi siya dapat bumoto hanggang dumating siya sa Senado,” he said.
Marcos stressed that Senate tradition requires lawmakers to be physically present during plenary votes.
“The long-standing tradition of the Senate is that if you are not physically present on the floor when a vote is taken, that you cannot in fact vote,” he said.
“Ang para sa akin is simple lang ang question: dapat bang bumoto ang senador kung hindi siya sumipot? Sa aking palagay, hindi dapat. Kung talagang importante sa iyong makaboto, dumating ka sa Senado,” he added.
Senator Imee Marcos, the president’s estranged sister, criticized the remarks, calling them an intrusion into Senate affairs and evidence of pressure on the majority bloc.
“I think what the administration is doing to the majority bloc is already very obvious, since even the president is now lambasting the Senate and meddling with the online voting issue,” she said.
She added that the developments represent a breach of constitutional boundaries between the executive and legislative branches, warning that there are efforts to weaken Senate independence and turn it into a “rubber stamp” for the administration.
