Importance of Senate's online sessions assessed

Manila: Members of the Upper House of Philippine Congress and observers agreed that online sessions will make senators closer to the people, who, in turn, will be assessed and held accountable on how they voted on the passage of controversial bills.

"It is important for the people to know how the senators voted on proposed bills," said professor Ador de Leon, adding that the Senate's online sessions have become very popular now that the Philippine Congress is debating on the fate of the controversial health bill that allows the use of artificial forms of family planning methods.

At the same time, students have been glued to www.senate.gov.ph to find out who among the senators will allow a big budget cut on education, said student Armando Gutierrez.

Last Thursday, students began a series of rallies against the more than P 1 billion budget cut for the education department, based on the sessions held at the House of Representatives. "More rallies will be held because students are now aware that the government seem not true to its promise to give priority to education, as shown by the proposed budget for the education department," warned Gutierrez.

Impact

"This will affect state universities and colleges where middle class students go," said Gutierrez.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan, who shepherded the Senate to launch online sessions said he was satisfied that all Filipinos seem eager to know how the Senators will vote on the proposed budget of President Benigno Aquino, for the year 2011, and on the controversial health bill.

"This is also aligned with the goals of the Aquino administration," said Pangilinan. He referred to Aquino's penchant to use social networking sites for a dialogue with the people. Pangilinan said that the Philippine Senate was inspired by the success of the online Congressional sessions abroad. "It can be good and bad for any senator," said former Senator Aquilino Pimentel.

"In general, online sessions can help people track down senators and their performance in terms of filing bills. It will also expose them criticism. People can judge them on how they voted on bills and not on public relations spins," said teacher Gloria Luna.

At the same time, the House of Representatives or the lower house of Congress has not yet gone online.

More often, the lower house of Congress is more ahead than the upper house of Congress in filing its own version of a proposed bill, and in voting on them.

After the House of Representatives passes its own version of a bill, it must be reconciled with the Senate version of the said bill in a joint session.