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[av_heading heading=’Alvarez hit for ‘slow’ remark on Senate’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – Nobody can tell senators what to do with regard to how they assess bills, Sen. Panfilo Lacson stressed.
“Nobody – not the Senate president and even the president of the republic – can dictate on us,” Lacson said on Monday in reaction to the comment of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez that the Senate was “slow” in acting on proposed legislation.
Alvarez’s “assault” on the Senate was “uncalled for” and “smacks of unparliamentary conduct,” said Lacson.
What makes the current senators different from House representatives is “that we think and act more independently as individual members,” he said.
Alvarez cited for the proposed death penalty bill, which the House passed in March last year yet. The Senate version was still pending at the committee level.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, on the other hand, defended the Upper House for being a “mabagal na kapulungan,” stressing that they were the more critical chamber in Congress.
“The Senate is not obligated to pass all measures passed by the House. That is also true the other way around,” said Pimentel, a fellow official of Alvarez in the PDP-Laban.
Meanwhile, Pimentel denied there were factions in the ruling party.
Pimentel is the current president while Alvarez is secretary-general.
“No. Walang factions. We will all enjoy the birthday party of the House speaker in Davao or Tagum on Jan. 10. We are good friends. Nagtutuksuhan lang kami,” said Pimentel./PN
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