6 neophyte senators face tough challenges

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Six neophyte senators will make their debut appearance in the Senate Monday amid intense rivalries and scam allegations hounding the Chambe

MANILA, Philippines – Six neophyte senators will make their debut appearance in the Senate Monday…
amid intense rivalries and scam allegations hounding the Chamber.

Here’s a look at the challenges a new senator faces.

Ayee Macaraig reports.

That was then…This is now.
Neophyte senators will attend their first Senate session when the 16th Congress opens on Monday.
Sonny Angara, Bam Aquino, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Grace Poe and Cynthia Villar form one of the youngest batches…
to join a chamber traditionally made up of senior lawmakers.
How can they best contribute to a body crafting national policy?
Their introduction to actual Senate work will be committee hearings.
For incoming Senate President Frank Drilon, budget hearings are a must-attend for newbie senators to know the bureaucracy.

FRANKLIN DRILON, INCOMING SENATE PRESIDENT

There are only 24 of us. You cannot hide behind the numbers. You’re like in a fishbowl. The public will watch you so the best way is to prepare yourself and the best way to prepare yourself is to attend hearings of the Committee on Finance.

When bills get through committees, senators engage in floor debates.

Actor-turned-senator Jinggoy Estrada says this is where legal luminaries give rookies their baptism of fire.

JINGGOY ESTRADA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR

Once, Sen Miriam and Sen Enrile engaged me in a debate. I was sweating all over because they asked me questions which I really cannot understand, legal questions at that. But of course, I survived.

Former Sen Rene Saguisag says senators must understand that theirs is a 24/7 job.

RENE SAGUISAG, FORMER SENATOR

Itigil iyang mga teleserye. Pwede ba naman nagi-indio ka, andun si Lito eh ang bibigat ng problema. Kailangan basahin mo halimbawa Dan Brown’s Inferno. 461 pages. Kailangan pag-aralan mo, ano ba itong problema sa Sabah. Aba eh hindi mo pwedeng gawing hobby lang o sideline ang pagiging senador.

Despite criticisms of inexperience…
Saguisag says the neophytes might just surprise their detractors.

RENE SAGUISAG, FORMER SENATOR

Wag muna natin husgahan ang mga supposedly pinabili lang ng suka ay senador na. Nandiyan na iyan. If we cannot have what we like, we have to like what we have and we do that by praying and supporting.

With controversies like the pork barrel scam…

He says the challenge for the new Senate is to redeem the honor nationalists like Lorenzo Tañada, Jose Diokno, Jovito Salonga brought to the chamber.

AYEE MACARAIG

Old names, new faces. Six senators will soon officially join this chamber.
The home of statesmen of old…
It’s an institution that symbolizes not just power and the law but also duty and service. 

Ayee Macaraig, Rappler.

READ: What’s a neophyte senator to do? 

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