Nagpahayag kahapon ng paniniwala si Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon na ang walang puknat na pagbanat ng liderato ng Kamara sa Senado bilang isang institusyon ay para mabigyang-katwiran ang pagbura sa Senado sa pamamagitan ng Charter change at magbibigay-daan sa pagtatag ng isang unicameral Congress.

Sinabi ni Drilon na higit kailanman ay kailangang panindigan ng liderato ng Senado ang kalayaan nito at bantayan ang anumang mga hakbang na magpapahina sa kahalagahan nito sa isang demokratikong lipunan gaya ng Pilipinas.

“I don’t want to talk about the motives of the (House) Speaker. But I think this is part of a deliberate and sustained effort to weaken and shame the Senate as an institution, in order to lay the groundwork for the abolition of the Senate and pave way for a unicameral Congress, which is preferred by the House of Representatives,” sinabi ni Drilon sa panayam ng radyo DZBB.

“I’ve seen placards in the House of Representatives that says ‘one congress.’ What does that mean. I think their preference for a unicameral system,” punto niya.

“So for me, the attack against the Senate is part of the effort to weaken the Senate in order to lay the groundwork for the abolition of the Senate and pave the way for a unilateral congress,” sabi ng lider ng minorya sa Senado.

Ang Senado, aniya, ay bahagi ng check and balance system na mahalaga sa demokratikong sistema ng pamahalaan.

“For them to destroy the Senate, this would affect the independence of the Senate and the democratic system of government,” aniya.

Kaya naman umaasa siya na ipaglalaban ni Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel III ang institusyon laban sa patuloy na pag-aatake ni House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez at mga kapartido nito.

“In the past, the Senate resisted efforts from any quarter to undermine its independence. The independence of the Senate is seriously guarded by the senators,” aniya.

“That’s why (I see the need for) Senate President Pimentel to protect and defend the integrity and independence of the Senate,” dagdag ni Drilon.

Nang hingan ng komento, tumanggi na si Pimentel na magsalita at idiniin na si Drilon ay bahagi ng opposition Liberal Party.

“I have already defended the Senate by responding to what the Speaker has said. Why does he want me to continue word war with the Speaker? He belongs to LP while the Speaker and I belong to PDP-Laban,” aniya. - Hannah L. Torregoza