SP FPP? ENQUIRY Demaree J. B. Raval 07/18/2010

SP FPP?

ENQUIRY Demaree J. B. Raval 07/18/2010 If one cannot hack it as majority leader of the Senate, then he is not good enough to be Senate President. Long before Sen. Francisco Pancrateus Pangilinan acquired another name arising from his infamous role as co-chairman of the National Board of Canvassers for the 2004 presidential elections, he had another name in the vernacular that translates to “all buffery; no substance.” I wrote then in my article of Feb. 15, 2004. Thus: “A majority leader is supposed to be learned in parliamentary rules, practices and precedents. He is expected to guide the deliberations of the Senate, which draws on his experience to set everything in order. His leadership inspires confidence among his colleagues. After all, he is the chairman of the powerful committee on rules, which sets the tone of the proceedings in the chamber. If he knows his rules, everything goes well; if he does not, then that is when the big problem starts. As the Senate now faces. “It is on days like these that we pine for the good old days when the Senate had a majority leader in the mold of a Romulo or a Tatad; or, most recently, a Legarda. Today the Senate has a majority leader who is still wet behind the ears, and seemingly nothing in between, who is groping for the rules, prompting no less than Senate President Franklin Drilon himself to remark in disgust after once abruptly suspending the session: “Kabado naman itong si Kiko!” Drilon did not know he was near a live microphone, so that this remark was plainly heard by everyone in the session hall..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100718com3.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Leadership only for a leader FRONTLINE Bum advice ENQUIRY SP FPP? BLURBAL THRUSTS Koko’s unreachable dream TABLETS OF STONE Opening with closures VIEWPOINTS Pork barrel? Pork chop? Pork? focus Frustrated Palestinians expected to reject direct talks