A network of digital advocates expressed alarm over the continued failure of the Senate to advance several important measures due to the repeated absence of senators, resulting in the lack of quorum and the paralysis of legislative work.
Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that among the measures affected are key bills on digitalization, digital payments, digital literacy, digital identification systems, online safety, transparency, anti-disinformation efforts, and motorcycle taxi regulation. These long-pending reforms are designed to modernize government services, strengthen digital governance, improve online safety, expand digital inclusion, and create more opportunities for Filipinos in an increasingly digital economy.
“The Filipino people deserve a Senate that works. Every missed session and every failure to establish quorum further delays reforms that could improve the lives of millions of Filipinos. While political leaders engage in power struggles and political maneuvering, important legislation remains stuck in the legislative pipeline. The Filipino people are paying the price for this dysfunction.”
Gustilo also said that the continued absence of senators is no longer a mere procedural issue but has become a serious obstacle to governance and national development, as he emphasized that senators were elected and entrusted by the people to perform their constitutional duties, attend sessions, deliberate on measures, and ensure the continuity of legislative work.
“No senator should be allowed to hold hostage the legislative agenda of the country through continuous and unjustified absences. Public office is a public trust, and attendance in official proceedings is among the most basic responsibilities expected of elected officials,” he said.
Gustilo likewise called on the current Senate leadership under Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and members of the majority bloc to face accountability for the Senate’s repeated failure to establish quorum and advance critical legislation that directly affects the welfare of the Filipino people.
“Leadership is not simply about occupying positions of authority. Senate leaders have the responsibility to ensure that the institution functions effectively and fulfills its constitutional mandate. The Senate exists to serve the Filipino people, not political interests. It is time for our Senators to honor their oaths, return to work, and stop holding hostage the reforms that Filipinos urgently need.”
