Senators give their thoughts on Sen. Robin Padilla's viral 'I move' motion

According to certified professional parliamentarian Sarah Merkle, a motion is made during a meeting via three simple words, which is "I move that." Any member with a proposal for the group to consider should simply seek recognition by the chairperson and when recognized, say, "I move that..."

Instead of saying these specific words during the session, Padilla said, "Tinatanggap ko po ang panukala."

In turn, Ejercito tried to correct him on how to properly make a motion. While Padilla replied with "English-in ko na ito... ginoong pangulo, I move," he eventually gave a proper reply when the session resumed later in the day.

"Mula po sa Tagalog ay i-English-in natin. I move that we amend the bill in the nature of a substitute by striking out all the text after the enacting clause and inserting the language or text contained in the substitute bill as distributed earlier today with a copy thereof filed with our bills and index service. Maraming salamat po. I so move, Mr. President," he said.

The video of the incident has since spread on social media, and many netizens were not too amused by Padilla's display, referring to it as unprofessional and unbeffiting of his position as a politician.

But what does Padilla's own colleagues have to say about the incident?

'Lapse on my part'

In a statement published on his official Facebook page, Ejercito took the time to address what happened in the session.

"Hindi naman sa dinidipensahan ko si Senador Robinhood Padilla, nguni’t nakikita ko naman na siya ay nag-aaral at talagang pumupunta sa mga hearings at sumasama sa mga diskusyon para matuto at makibahagi," he opened.

"Siya rin ang talagang gumagamit ng ating sariling wika sa mga deliberasyon, sa kumite man o sa plenaryo," he added.

Ejercito went on to say that the incident served as an enlightenment to him that he must also train himself and his colleagues to use parliamentary terms translated in Filipino.

"Ipinaalala sa akin ng legislative staff ng Senado na iyon na pala ang tamang motion at hindi ko po ito napansin dahil nasanay ako sa Ingles na parliamentary terms at procedures. Yes, it was a lapse on my part that I didn’t notice it was already the proper motion in Filipino," he explained.

He stressed, "Wala naman pong perpekto. Lahat po tayo ay nag-aaral at natututo sa ating mga buhay. Life is a continuous learning process."

He ended his statement by expressing his gratitude to Padilla for using his mother tongue during their sessions.

No violation

In a briefing with the press, Sen. Chiz Escudero clarified that Padilla did not violate any rules regarding proper decorum during Senate meetings. 

"Wala sa rules ng Senado na hindi niya pwede gawin ang ginawa niya. Walang nagsasabing bawal iyon," Escudero said. "Marami lang siguro ang hindi nakagusto pero walang particular na rule na nagsasabing nilabag niya at hindi ayon sa decorum ng Senado iyon."

However, he cautioned the actor-turned-politician that his actions are always being scrutinized by the public.

"Hindi pa siguro sanay si Sen. Padilla na 24/7 na may camerang posibleng nakatutok sa'yo dahil sa dati niyang trabaho, sanay siya na mayroong action at cut. Pero bilang public servant, asahan niyo na, na palaging may cellphone o camera na malamang nakatutok sa kanya na pwedeng gamitin laban sa kanya," Escudero underscored.

In situations where politicians do display improper behavior, he explained that the preciding officer is the one who is responsible for maintaining order during meetings.

In any case, Escudero believed that senators need not be thoroughly prepared at all times during sessions.

"Sa tagal ko sa Kongreso, hindi ko pwedeng sabihin na lahat ng magagaling ay palaging handa. Minsan hindi rin handa ang mga magagaling. Lahat ng ika nga sinasabi nilang hindi magaling, hindi rin naman palaging hindi handa. Madalas mas handa sila," he said.

It is a concern

Despite no rules having violated, Sen. Joel Villanueva said in a separate briefing with the press that it is still a concern to observe proper decorum in the Senate.

"It is a concern na dapat iyong decorum sinusunod nang husto, hindi lamang mga committee hearings, maging sa Senado. Iyong last time no less than our Senate President Pro Tempore—one if not the most senior member of the Senate— reminded us of the sacredness of being in the session hall and ensuring that decorum is being followed," he said.

Nevertheless, he admitted that mistakes are inevitable, which is why the incident serves as a "great reminder" for politicians to always be wary of how they present themselves during hearings.

"Especially the choice of words. Actually, I was asked by the Senate President din to look into the records also of the committee hearings kasi may mga committee hearings din na may mga nasasabi na hindi dapat masabi, at ma-strike off the record. Iyong unparliamentary languages, kailangan ma-remind din," he said.

He went on, "I think we're all grown-ups and professionals, and as public servants, we are all aware that public office is a public trust. It's probably more of just a reminder. Madali naman iyon. Mga professionals naman at mga maginoo at marespeto ang ating mga kasamahan dito sa Senado."

Padilla is a known advocate of using the Filipino language. Last year, he stressed that the public should promote the language in their day-to-day lives, not just in August where Buwan ng Wika is celebrated.

Prior to this, he admitted that he could not keep up with plenary debates because he experienced some difficulty in engaging in discussions in English, which led him to merely read about what was deliberated in the Senate journal the next day.

PhilSTAR L!fe has reached out to Padilla's camp, but has yet to receive a reply.