Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri maintained his opposition to allowing senators to attend Senate sessions through online participation, saying his position on the issue has not changed.
Zubiri said he had already opposed the proposal in the past and recalled rejecting a similar request from Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. during his term as Senate president.
According to Zubiri, Senate tradition requires lawmakers to be physically present in the institution during voting sessions.
In explaining his position, the senator cited the late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who, despite battling cancer during her term, did not seek exemption from Senate rules and instead filed a medical leave.
Zubiri said Santiago’s decision showed respect for Senate procedures and institutional rules.
The senator also warned that approving the request of the majority bloc could eventually lead to senators no longer reporting physically to the Senate floor and instead working entirely from home.
However, Zubiri clarified that he would support an online attendance setup if it were only used during extraordinary situations such as a pandemic or war.
The issue emerged following the walkout staged by some senators during the Senate plenary session.
Despite the incident, Zubiri said they remain willing to work with the majority bloc inside the Senate.
At the same time, he stressed that they are also prepared to take a stand if they see attempts to distort or violate the law.
The debate over online participation has raised renewed discussion on Senate traditions, voting procedures, and the balance between flexibility and institutional rules in the country’s legislative process.
