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Sen. Migz Zubiri goes about his duties as senator as
if there is no Sword of Damocles hanging over his head—the protest
filed by Koko Pimentel against his proclamation as 12th senator in
the May 2007 election. He leaves this issue to his lawyers led by
Romy Macalintal, while he concentrates on his work in the Senate.
How does he sum up his first year
in the chamber?
“I have matured so much after
one year in the Senate learning the ropes. There is real battle
whenever one speaks here, but I choose my battles,” he said.
Learning the ropes? But Migz was
Bukidnon congressman for nine years so he should be considered a
veteran legislator! Yet, he considers himself as just a neophyte at
the Senate where there is a different work atmosphere and ethic.
“The Senate is harder than the
House. In the House, I was just one of 230 congressmen. I can do my
work at the office, receive visitors, even while plenary was going
on. Here, I have to be on my toes everyday—get updated on current
events, and study bills either for committee hearings or for plenary
debates,” he said of the difference between the House and the
Senate.
He also noted that in the House,
the bulk of legislative work is done at committee hearings while in
the Senate, it is at the plenary.
“At the House, the real work is
done at the committee level. A bill is thoroughly screened there so
that it reaches the floor, there is very little debate. Here at the
Senate, very few senators attend committee hearings. A committee
chairman can have one or two hearings on related bills and then
report them out. The real battle is on the floor,” Migz added.
I have been very critical of this
Senate attitude towards committee hearings. Most of the questions
asked by senators during floor debates had already been answered
during the hearings where they were absent. Add to this the
repetition of questions by senators who were not present in previous
debates, and one can see why a lot of time wasted on the floor.
Among his colleagues, Migz
considers Sen. Edgardo Angara as the one closest to him.
“He is my mentor. He has been
coaching me on several issues. He is like my second father, even
during the 2007 campaign,” he said.
I covered the campaign of the
administration candidates in 2007 and I did notice the special
attention given by Angara to Migz. Angara even introduced Migz to
his campaign leaders and urged them to campaign for Migz, too.
“The second closest is
Dick [Gordon] because we are both with the Philippine National Red
Cross [pnrc],” he added.
Gordon is PNRC chairman while
Migz is a board member. They are together in undertaking many relief
works all over the country.
Senate’s seniority rule
As I had said before, Migz was a
three-term congressman so he should not be considered neophyte in
legislative work. Yet, the fact remains that this is his first year
in the Senate and that there are senators who have been in the
chamber for longer years.
“In the Senate, you can feel
the seniority rule. If you try to upstage seniors, you are
immediately reminded that you are just a neophyte,” he told me.
Migz said he felt this for the
first time when he tangled with firebrand Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
over the Biofuels Law, which he authored. Senator Miriam had cited a
world expert who warned of the dire effects of ethanol on food
production and Migz immediately defended biofuels. They later got
along well after that initial run-in.
He also gave some insights into
the character of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the more imposing
members of the chamber.
“JPE’s demeanor could easily
scare you—the way he looks, the way he asks questions. But once
you get to know him, he is a joy to watch and listen to. His vast
experience in governance is an asset to any legislature,” Migz
said.
And what does he consider as the
highlight of his first year as a senator?
Migz thought for a moment, then
said: “Having the chance to debate with the best minds in the
country, share ideas with big wheels like Joker [Arroyo], Dick, JPE,
Angara and Miriam, and learning from them.”
He sounded like a star-struck
youngster when he recalled that when he was still a kid, he used to
watch in awe at these people on TV—and now, he is sharing the
stage with them!
Migz loves his work at the Senate
but another highlight during his first year as senator took place
outside the Senate halls—his becoming a first-time father. His
wife Audrey gave birth to their first child Adriana on June 10. Now,
that is a real labor of love!
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