It takes good lawyers to make an august senate, and congress, too!
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27562)
Philippines
February 3, 2011 3:32pm CST
What I like about senate and congress inquiries is the free education the marathon hearings entail. I love listening to a barrage of verbal exchanges in legal parlance, and the battle of wits. And I get to learn a few terminologies, a little law, character profiles, and lots of entertainment.
So I got glued to the boob tube again yesterday, watching the lines and the eye bugs etched on Senator Sotto's face as he desperately tried to be knowledgeable on the topic of plea bargaining agreement. Ha ha, no matter how he connect his drug case to the present predicament, it was obviously not the dilemma. But he did get his few minutes of legislative slot and media mileage. He was the opener....
Credit though Senator Estrada for doing his homework and thereby looking like a toughie... but of course he is very much interested in this case...
But I truly enjoyed my idol Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago for injecting innuendos, rhetoric or otherwise... And Juan Ponce Enrile, although I never liked him, the years had really caught up with him and he has to go to the bathroom, but the brilliance of mind was apparently intact, even if ex ombudsman Marcel had the better of him... A plus point also to Chiz Escudero who defined the problem clear and a greater understanding was laid on the viewers...
Hmmm, the senators and the congressmen must draft a law that those who would want a seat in the legislative body must have political science for a bachelor's degree. But then again, maybe I wouldn't be as entertained without the actors...
Credit though Senator Estrada for doing his homework and thereby looking like a toughie... but of course he is very much interested in this case...
But I truly enjoyed my idol Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago for injecting innuendos, rhetoric or otherwise... And Juan Ponce Enrile, although I never liked him, the years had really caught up with him and he has to go to the bathroom, but the brilliance of mind was apparently intact, even if ex ombudsman Marcel had the better of him... A plus point also to Chiz Escudero who defined the problem clear and a greater understanding was laid on the viewers...
Hmmm, the senators and the congressmen must draft a law that those who would want a seat in the legislative body must have political science for a bachelor's degree. But then again, maybe I wouldn't be as entertained without the actors...3 people like this
10 responses
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
Watching senate hearings = watching the circus (no offense meant to the people in the circus). I just hope sometimes that they spend their time doing what they're supposed to do in the first place - come up with laws that would save this drowning country. That is what we get when we have entertainers in there - entertainment! But then again, even if it were just the lawyers alone, it would still be that - entertainment levelled up only because of the use of legalese.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
Actually, if I am a circus thespian, I would be offended being compared to the characters in Congress. A circus artist polishes his/her craft so that there would be nor room for error.
But hey, yesterday's show was scripted, in the sense that they followed a certain agenda. They could only get better, don't you think?
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
Oops you are right. The circus people are disciplined in their art. Not messy like the people in Congress. My apologies. I wasn't able to watch the entire hearing yesterday, just the snippets shown in the news, but even if they'd been following the agenda, they could still have done it better as you say. I just wish the whole exercise has a point to it. I mean, the hearings they have are conduct them to aid them in legislation. So, it would be less annoying if after all the drama and entertainment, they'd come up with these laws to benefit the people and come up with the truth as to the current issues and let those who are liable, if there are any, be held liable.
1 person likes this
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
Oops, let me say that again - the hearings they have are conducted to aid them in legislation. 
1 person likes this
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
It's reality TV at its best. I usually tune in to these "investigations" rather than those telenovelas. This is more fun for me especially when there are wannabes like Sotto who reminds me of his now defunct show Iskul Bukol - the mentally-challenged student who valiantly tries to show that he deserves to be in Section A when he is actually in Row 4, last section.
As usual, Miriam was entertaining. She spotted the issue about the Sandiganbayan's partial approval at once and made some colorful descriptions like one-celled amoeba. She always comes up with this tittilating sound bites, that's why the media loves her.
I never liked Enrile, not even yesterday. I felt he was lawyering for Garcia just a little bit. I loved Marcelo although he can be a bit excitable. But he sure knows his law, as opposed to his successor.
All in all, that was one telenovela that I would give high ratings.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
6 Feb 11
Marcelo was 
. He was brilliance personified. I enjoyed the verbal joust with Senator Enrile. Ha ha, the old senator ran out of rebuttal.
. He was brilliance personified. I enjoyed the verbal joust with Senator Enrile. Ha ha, the old senator ran out of rebuttal.
@ybong007 (6643)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
I heard bits of that interview on 92.3 fm about the one celled amoeba 
, I knew she was up to something although I haven't heard the entire report as i was walking and can't help but laugh a bit about it. People who've seen me may have thought I'm nuts giggling alone.
, I knew she was up to something although I haven't heard the entire report as i was walking and can't help but laugh a bit about it. People who've seen me may have thought I'm nuts giggling alone.1 person likes this
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
In my opinion, if anyone is suffering from diarrhea all they need to do is watch a senate inquiry and for sure they will get constipated. I mean, just listening to our lawmakers ramble on and on and say things that don't really make sense makes me lose my appetite and makes me want to throw something at the TV. Only I don't do that because my TV is expensive, so I just change channels.
I don't think these people will survive in real life. I mean everyday common Pinoy life. Let me see them get through a jeepney driver while they are using English terms Americans or British don't even use. Or let me see them try to buy food from a Karinderya. Or better yet, let me see if they have the patience to stand in line while trying to get a MRT card then elbow their way in the trains. Our legislative body is made up of comedians. Pampered comedians. And the irony of it all is that we pay them for sitting there while they try to think of the most stupid-meaning intellectual-sounding English words they can muster.
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
6 Feb 11
Points well taken but in fairness to the senators, I think they were able to extract the truth from the resource persons. What is limiting them is their lack of legal remedy to arrest the liars or those who conceal the truth. When Garcia invoked self incrimination, the legislative body must have a coercive power to get the truth or put the resource person in jail. Problem is, there is now law that makes this possible... and the people have to live with the lies... I believe that truth prevails over human right... But then that is my opinion...
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
5 Feb 11
Hello Eileen
,
political science for a bachelor's degree - No Offense my friend but this is the moment where I sometimes really Miss Richard Gordon in the Hearings
. But you're right, there should be a certain degree whereas people should have this course in political science. sad to say, Tito Sotto didn't have a course in Political Science since such exist in Letran, but i think he was more of a hang our "siga" gang fraternity group like his brother VIC during their prime..well, that's what i have heard of.so, I doubt Tito sotto would have knowledge on somevery important aspects on their hearings.
Frankly, it was more of an entertainment than learning, because i have only learned to be frustrated with out country.
,
political science for a bachelor's degree - No Offense my friend but this is the moment where I sometimes really Miss Richard Gordon in the Hearings. But you're right, there should be a certain degree whereas people should have this course in political science. sad to say, Tito Sotto didn't have a course in Political Science since such exist in Letran, but i think he was more of a hang our "siga" gang fraternity group like his brother VIC during their prime..well, that's what i have heard of.so, I doubt Tito sotto would have knowledge on somevery important aspects on their hearings.
Frankly, it was more of an entertainment than learning, because i have only learned to be frustrated with out country.1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
6 Feb 11
Knight, I wouldn't want to comment anymore on the grounds that it might incriminate me. Suffice it to say your fellow knight is hopelessly 
trying hard.
trying hard.
@EdnaReyes (2622)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
I did not watch the whole hearing but catch up in the news and online. Yes, Merriam is still the lady to beat, and how she made them all blushed with embarrasment! Senator Enrile proved that he's a seasoned lawyer, and yes, the young Estrada is confident as he is. The rest, well, trying hard to have a at least a moment of their own! The whole hearing was all about legal issues and me ,an ordinary taxpayer could not understand many of them! How I wish they talk legal issues in layman language! Oh, I am asking too much!
embarrasment! Senator Enrile proved that he's a seasoned lawyer, and yes, the young Estrada is confident as he is. The rest, well, trying hard to have a at least a moment of their own! The whole hearing was all about legal issues and me ,an ordinary taxpayer could not understand many of them! How I wish they talk legal issues in layman language! Oh, I am asking too much!1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
6 Feb 11
Miriam, she never fails to amuse me... I hope her health gets better so we could have more years of Miriam in the senate...
@preppydezza (309)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
I love watching senate hearing and investigations of that matter, but sometimes it frustrates me that nothing is happening in their investigation. Kudos to my senate idol, Chiz Escudero in maintaining the intellectual ability to clearly stating the problem, and Senator Miriam Defensor- Santiago in using Bisaya-Tagalog- English in her blabbering. Hope they could provide real answers to their investigation. Its useless to conduct an investigation and nothing happens to it.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
6 Feb 11
dezza, I believe that patience will bring us somewhere better. Give the senate and congress one more chance... I think that there are still good people who will stand for us...
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
3 Feb 11
Nice that you can get something out of the kaos! I have attempted to watch things like that, but their constant bickering and massive use of useless words to say what one or two would have been appropriate....I just get so mad, I talk to the tv things like "Just say yes or no!" and "what'd he just say?" or "so what? That has nothing to do with anything" and so on and then just changed the channel. SO much circus-ry, no wonder the justice system is becoming ....a circus!
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
The House of Congress had become a circus since the wannabe Reagans started occupying seats even the bar passers would even think twice to venture. I had also been disgusted for the longest time, but time and again, since the Estrada impeachment, the inquiries had become my favorite telenovela. The protagonists and the antagonists are all jumbled up that I find it curious to decipher who's telling the truth, and the lie under oath.
The protagonists and the antagonists are all jumbled up that I find it curious to decipher who's telling the truth, and the lie under oath.
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
25 Feb 11
Hiya eileen,
Very few times will I watch J.L. Rodriguez Zapatero I am fed up of seeing him with his verbal arrows going over to the other side of the Camera of whatever they are supposed to be.
Rajoy is very verbal too but at least you know what he is already talking about but this other could be speaking about what time he is getting out of there and what he is going to do when he gets home. He is hardly ever precise and to the point.
That is why they bore me to tears and especially we never get to know anything about anything anyway really.
It´s like they are having a Working Party but all for themselves.
Did I vote for them no way Jose. I like a clear speaker that looks you straight in the Face and does not fiddle with the Papers he has in his hands.
There are many decent Politicians the little fish they are and you don´t know who they are but you can bet they are worth much more than those big fish spouting away in that Parliament?
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
Nice of you to have watched that yesterday. I came home just as the newscast have ended.
But one thing though that i agree with you, is that it would be a lot nicer really, if those in the legislative body must have political science as bachelor's degree.
I love it when Merriam gets to give her piece. She really could make me guffaw with her insinuations and accusations !
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27562)
• Philippines
6 Feb 11
Miriam is a joy to behold. She puts the inutile in their proper places!
@MsPatriciaDV (636)
• Philippines
4 Feb 11
No matter how much I try watching those Senate hearings, I always find myself sleeping in front of the TV.
Personally, I would also like that idea of putting some educational attainment requirement before a person could qualify to run as legislator. That'll make every Senate inquiry and bills passed more intelligent.
1 person likes this
