The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
— Canadian-American diplomat and economist John Kenneth Galbraith
MAYPAJO, Caloocan City — The Senate leadership fiasco may not directly affect the citizenry, but for the more than 2,000 Senate employees, the ongoing crisis has become much more personal as their next paycheck has been held hostage with senators at loggerheads over who should be the legitimate Senate President.
What our beloved senators do not realize is that tuition payments are due while household bills continue to pile up. So, anxiety is spreading through the halls of the Senate over whether salaries scheduled for release tomorrow will be released on time.
An employee expressed hope it would: “Sana ma-solve na, kundi gutom na ang mga tao.” The remark reflects a worrisome issue shared by almost all of the Upper Chamber’s rank-and-file workers, who, truthfully, have nothing to do with the power struggle now engulfing the institution.
The truth of the situation is that until this late hour, payroll and disbursement documents have yet to circulate for the signatures normally required to release the salaries and benefits. Whether this delay is caused by administrative confusion, competing claims of authority, or other factors remains unclear.
What is clear, though, is that ordinary employees are on edge, increasingly worried about missing paying their financial obligations due to the scandalous state of affairs in the august halls of the Senate.
Adding to this uncertainty, persistent stories are circulating with several employees claiming that the Senate’s financial records and payroll-related documents are no longer where they are normally kept.
Still, others allege that certain personnel remain unwilling to process or sign documents while questions over authority remain unresolved. These allegations have not been independently verified, but it’s a fact that their existence reflects the atmosphere of uncertainty now gripping the institution.
Amid the darkening backdrop, former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has proposed an interim arrangement that would allow dual signatories on vouchers, checks, disbursements and other documents affecting Senate operations and employee compensation.
Cayetano says the proposal is intended to prevent employees from being caught in the middle of the dispute. Yet, many believe that the move only serves as Cayetano’s attempt to assuage the pain resulting from his selfishness and unwillingness to relinquish the Senate leadership.
It’s funny, do our distinguished senators do not even realize that the Senate was created to debate laws and not payrolls. It exists to solve national problems, not create new ones for its own workforce.
So, we bow our heads to honor the Senate—not its moronic members!
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ia/xf
