Just recently, my husband and I paused our Korean drama binge to watch another kind of drama, one that evokes both anger and incredulous laughter: the ongoing drama in the Senate of the Philippines.
According to Google, the word Senate comes from the ancient Roman Senatus, meaning “highest council.”
It stems from the Latin word senex, which means “elder” or “old man,” historically referring to a council composed of society’s oldest and wisest figures.
In other words, they are statesmen (and stateswomen) and respected political leaders who are guided by wisdom, integrity, and a long-term vision for the good of the nation and not just personal gain or survival. Even my fourth-grade homeschooler knows this from her lessons on Rome.
Having lived overseas for many years in first-world countries where citizens experience good governance and genuinely see the fruits of their taxes, I cannot help but feel frustrated being back in my own country.
It is heartbreaking to confront the realities of poverty and witness people being served by such incompetent leaders.
My heart bleeds for our fellow kababayans who deserve better: the farmers who are continuously shortchanged, the marginalized communities who need decent housing, the families displaced by floods, and countless others struggling every day.
They deserve leaders who will truly fight for them and serve them.
Yet watching the hullabaloo and spectacle unfolding in the Senate these past few weeks has been both disheartening and infuriating.
As much as possible, I try to remain apolitical in my articles because I know some readers may hold different political views. But please allow me this moment to express my deep disappointment with the current Senate of the Philippines, especially under the new leadership.
Never have I felt more insulted as a Filipino than I have in recent days. Why does it seem like our leaders think we are foolish enough to blindly accept the narratives they want us to consume?
What angers me most is the way Filipinos are being treated—with so little respect for our intelligence and discernment.
From the coup that changed the Senate leadership, to the protective custody granted to a senator with a warrant of arrest who was eventually released and is now nowhere to be found; from the alleged staged attack within the Senate premises, to the fake news being peddled left and right; and now the move to allow senators to attend sessions and vote via teleconference—really?
I have never seen the Senate at such a low point, where legislators openly violate laws, bend rules in plain sight, and pursue selfish political agendas over public service.
Walter Lippman said, “The statesman differs from the politician in that the statesman places the next generation first, and the politician places the next election first.”
I pray that our eyes will be opened and that we will be moved to elect deserving, competent, righteous, and just leaders in 2028.
I miss the days when the Senate was filled with wise, eloquent, and learned statesmen Flavier, Roco, Arroyo (not the one who became President), Santiago, and many others who carried themselves with dignity and intellect.
I hope that we will raise the next generation of leaders to be men and women of character, conviction, and integrity.
I look forward to the day when we will once again have leaders who pursue the interests of the Filipino people above political loyalties and personal ambitions.
But for now, I will continue to pray for them and trust that God remains sovereign over the Philippines.
He still rules and reigns. He loves the Filipino people. He is able to change hearts and minds. He hears our cries. And as we humble ourselves, He will heal our land.
There is hope. Always.
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