Kin of pre-Martial Law senators criticize today’s Senate as 'lawbreakers'

Families of senators who served before Martial Law did not mince their words, calling the current Senate a camp of "lawbreakers" amid allegations hounding several members ranging from plunder to abuse of power.

In a statement, the group stressed that this was "not the Senate they once knew."

"The mothers and fathers of our Republic who sat in that chamber did not hunger for applause, nor chase spectacle, nor beg for the fleeting worship of the crowd. They understood that public office was not theater. It was duty. Sacred duty," their statement read.

"They guarded the people's money with the vigilance of honest men, because they understood that every centavo in the treasury was wrung from the sweat, toil, and suffering of the Filipino people. They debated fiercely, not to enrich themselves or protect political patrons, but to craft laws worthy of a free and dignified nation," it added.

Comparing today's lawmakers, the families lamented how the Senate "stands disgraced before the nation" as a great number among the majority are hounded by "accusations so grave that in any decent republic they would compel shame, resignation, or prosecution."

These include plunder, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and even "crimes against human life itself."

"Count the lawmakers who have become lawbreakers. Count the men and women who invoke the Constitution while desecrating its spirit. Count those who demand the people's respect while proving themselves unworthy of it. And then ask yourselves: is this a Senate to admire? Or a Senate to mourn?" the group implored.

"They dishonor the Republic. They degrade the institution they pretend to defend. And by their conduct, they insult every Filipino who still believes that public office is a public trust," they added.

The group urged the public to remain vigilant and fight against corruption.

"They are not untouchable. And we are not powerless. They are but a handful clinging desperately to authority. We are with the millions who still remember what honor looks like. History is never kind to those who mistake impunity for permanence. The Filipino people have overthrown greater arrogance than this—and they will do so again," they ended.

Some of the 11 signatories include former senator Serge Osmeña, the son of former senator Sergio Osmeña Jr.; former deputy speaker Erin Tañada, the son of former senator Lorenzo Tañada; former college dean Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, the niece of former senator Eva Kalaw; pulmonologist Dr. Ricardo Salonga, the son of former Senate president Jovito Salonga; and historian Maria Serena Diokno, the daughter of former senator Jose Diokno.

Osmeña Jr., Tañada, Kalaw, Salonga, and Diokno were all part of the seventh Congress when former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared Martial Law in 1972.

While the group did not specify any names, the statement comes as Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is currently facing plunder and graft charges for his alleged involvement in the flood control scandal.

He voluntarily surrendered himself to authorities after the Sandiganbayan 5th Division issued a warrant of arrest against him for a non-bailable plunder case.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa is also dealing with an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. He was identified as one of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged co-perpetrators in his bloody anti-drug campaign.

He was previously under Senate protective custody from May 11 until he went missing again on May 13 following the Senate gunfire incident.

The Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group later said that they will be pursuing a complaint for obstruction of justice against Sen. Robin Padilla for allegedly playing a role in dela Rosa's escape. (with reports from EJ Macababbad)