- 41 minutes ago
Tensions flared in the Senate plenary on Tuesday, May 26, as senators clashed over Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s proposal to amend Senate rules and allow lawmakers to participate in sessions online.
Marcoleta introduced the proposed amendment on May 11, the same day Senator Ronald dela Rosa returned to the chamber for the election of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2026/05/26/senators-clash-over-marcoletas-push-for-online-participation-for-senators-minority-walks-out
Marcoleta introduced the proposed amendment on May 11, the same day Senator Ronald dela Rosa returned to the chamber for the election of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2026/05/26/senators-clash-over-marcoletas-push-for-online-participation-for-senators-minority-walks-out
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NewsTranscript
00:00Madam President, I would just like to reiterate for the record the proposal to amend Rule 14, Section 41, Senate
00:12Session.
00:13The proposal, Madam President, is by way of an additional paragraph, Section 41C, after Section 41B of Rule 14 of
00:24the Senate Rules, which will state as follows.
00:26Section 41C, allow a senator for justifiable reasons to attend and participate in the session through teleconference, videoconference, or other
00:37reliable forms of remote or electronic means using appropriate information and communication technology.
00:46I so move, Madam President.
00:58We take note of the motion of Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
01:01I recognize Senator Ping Lachshund.
01:04Yes, thank you, Madam President.
01:06This is a parliamentary inquiry.
01:08What is the status of the motion introduced by the Honorable Marcoleta last May 11?
01:17Has it been referred to the Committee on Rules?
01:22I am told that it's been referred to the Committee on Rules, Majority Leader?
01:25Yes, it has been referred to the Committee on Rules, and that's why in this particular deliberation, the Committee on
01:35Rules is giving it back to the floor for a plenary action, Madam President.
01:40Thank you, Mr. President.
01:42Has the Committee on Rules been constituted?
01:48I believe that Senator Joel Villanueva is the acting majority leader and would be in the best position to answer
01:55the question.
01:55Thank you, Madam President.
01:56In the meantime, I recognize Senate President Cayetano.
01:59Madam Chair, with the permission of Senator Villanueva, so the Committee on Rules is not reporting out the proposal.
02:07No, my question, Mr. President, I'm sorry, Madam President, with your permission.
02:11My question is, has the Committee on Rules been constituted?
02:16Yes.
02:17So, Madam President, the answer there is the same answer to the question of Senator Pangilinan and former Senate President
02:26Soto,
02:27that in accordance with Section 19, this is the same, they continue to function.
02:35Having said that, I was explaining that the motion of Senator Villanueva was not for the Committee on Rules to
02:44report out what was referred to them,
02:46but to return to the plenary, because if you look at Section 136 of our rules,
02:54the rules may be amended by means of a motion which should be presented at least one day before its
02:59consideration,
03:00and a vote of majority senators present shall be required for its approval.
03:04So, you do not need the endorsement, nor the forwarding of the Committee of Rules for the amendments of the
03:16rules.
03:17So, the only requirement is that it is put on the floor at least one day before, or the proposal
03:26is made,
03:27and that a majority of the senators present will vote for its approval.
03:32So, I just wanted to clarify that, just so that we don't have any miscommunication that whether or not the
03:41Rules Committee met,
03:42who are the members, et cetera, because right now that's irrelevant,
03:45because we have given back to the plenary the proposal.
03:50Very clear. Thank you, Senate President.
03:52Madam President.
03:53Senator Laxon's recommendation.
03:54Does it mean that we are now disregarding the committees of the Senate?
03:58So, the committee chairman, or the chairman of any committee, including the Rules Committee,
04:05may just report out any motion or any resolution referred to it in plenary,
04:15and then just, you know, it is within its power to just report it out by himself without any deliberation
04:22in the committee,
04:23without any committee report?
04:26Is that the new rule now, Mr. President?
04:27Madam President.
04:28It is clearly...
04:29There's no new rule.
04:31I read the rule.
04:32Senator Laxon is referring to resolutions or communications or anything referred to the Committee on Rules.
04:40We're talking about a motion to amend the Rules.
04:46We had the option of taking it up, but since everyone asked for one more day,
04:51it was given to the Committee on Rules.
04:53The Committee on Rules has an option to take it up,
04:56but the acting majority leader or acting chairman of the committee gave it back to plenary,
05:04and the plenary is more...
05:07How do I put it?
05:09Supreme.
05:09Supreme, thank you, Senator Laxon, over the committee.
05:13So we didn't disregard the committee.
05:15It is our choice from the start whether we want to give it to the committee or not.
05:19So when we give it...
05:21So, for example, I have a motion now to extend the session to June 12 instead of June 5.
05:34That could be given to the Committee on Rules, or upon coordination with the House, the plenary can decide it
05:40directly,
05:42or we can give it to the committee on rules, and after he talks to the House of Representatives,
05:47he can even report it out, or he can easily, legally, morally, just say that I am tossing it back
05:56to the plenary,
05:57which is what's happening today.
05:58Thank you, Madam President.
06:00That is assuming that there was no referral.
06:03But in this case, and I'd like to invite the attention of the body to journal number 62, dated May
06:1011, 2026.
06:12And if I may read the particular portion of this journal, proposed at 6.25 PM, the session was resumed.
06:26Proposed amendment to the rules of the Senate.
06:29Senator Marcoleta proposed an amendment to rule 14 Senate sessions of the rules by inserting a new paragraph C under
06:38rule 41,
06:39which reads, A or C, allow a senator for justifiable reasons to attend and participate in the session through teleconference,
06:49videoconference, or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means using appropriate information and communications technology.
06:59Now, here's the portion, Mr. President, or Madam President.
07:03While expressing no objection to the proposal, Senate President Cayetano A suggested giving the committee on rules time to discuss
07:11the matter.
07:12Now, my question is, was there any discussion by the committee on rules?
07:16Apparently, there was none.
07:18Because it's now being reported out by the acting majority leader without consultation with any of the members.
07:25And by the way, Mr. Madam President, wala pang committee on rules eh.
07:31I believe that it was mentioned, and I will reiterate from my understanding that there was no committee on rules
07:39meeting
07:39because that motion is reverted back to plenary.
07:43Meaning, we are not ignoring the fact that, of course, committees must hold meetings, but this particular motion is being
07:55referred back to plenary.
07:57And may we just put on record, it says in rule, or section 136, the rules may also be amended
08:04by means of a motion which should be presented at least one day,
08:08and we're complying with that before its consideration, and the vote of the majority of the senators present in this
08:14session shall be required for its approval.
08:17I believe that is what the Senate President had explained.
08:20Evidently, Madam President, action was taken.
08:23And the action was to refer it to the committee on rules since the position of majority floor leader was
08:29vacated.
08:30So how can the committee properly function in the absence of a committee, yeah, of the committee members?
08:42As the Senate President had stated, there is a rule of a continuing operations of the committee while the new
08:50head has not been.
08:51President, walang members ang committee on rules, so we cannot invoke continuity because we vacated all committees, all positions, including
09:01the members.
09:02And may I invite you to section 24 of our rules, Madam President.
09:06The committees shall hold meetings to discuss, decide, and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them.
09:14This was transmitted to the committee on rules.
09:17So the committee shall hold, including the committee on rules, shall hold meetings to discuss, decide, and submit a report.
09:25There is no report, Mr. President or Madam President.
09:28Madam President.
09:28So we're violating our own rules.
09:31We recognize Senate President.
09:33Mr. President, the chair already made a ruling, and it's not appropriate to argue with the chair because, as explained
09:42to Senator Laxon,
09:44the committee did not report it out.
09:46He read the journal of May 11, but he did not read the motion of Senator Joel today.
09:54His motion today was pursuant to rule 136 of the rules, a motion to amend the rules, meaning if Joel
10:01was no longer the majority leader,
10:03if I was the majority leader now, or even an ordinary member, that motion was carried.
10:08No one objected, no one objected that we take it up because, Madam Chair, we're bringing it back to plenary.
10:16So natural po, walang discussion sa committee on rules.
10:20Kasi wala namang po sa rules natin na kailangan i-discuss sa committee on rules.
10:24We did that on May 11 so that everyone will have an opportunity to study the rule.
10:30It's a very simple amendment, so we should go to the discussion of the amendment if anyone is objecting to
10:37the amendment.
10:38But definitely, the right to propose an amendment is a right guaranteed by our rules.
10:44Senator Marcoleta has an amendment.
10:46We should go to discussing the merits or demerits of having that rule.
10:53You already ruled that it is proper for the plenary to take it up.
10:56So may I request or move that we, if there are any objections, we discuss their objection.
11:02I'm objecting.
11:04That's the effect of my manifestation, Madam President.
11:07I'm objecting because I'm invoking Section 24 of our rules.
11:11And as I read into the records, the journal of May 11, 2026, na-repair po ito sa committee on
11:19rules.
11:20And there was no discussion.
11:22Action was taken, actually, by this body.
11:26Then, Madam Chair, if there's an objection, may I move that we divide the house?
11:31Point of order, Madam President.
11:32On that issue, not on the issue of whether or not the rule is good.
11:37Your issue is whether or not it's proper to take it up on the floor.
11:44The position of the majority is that there's no rule being violated.
11:49So we will vote.
11:52The presiding officer has already ruled, but the gentleman continues to object.
11:58So we have to vote on it.
11:59We're not voting on the amendment yet.
12:01We're voting on whether the amendment is proper or not.
12:05Yes, interjection, Madam President.
12:08Yes, Minority Leader, Senator Soto.
12:10We will have to support that resolution or thinking of Senator Laxon,
12:22which is we did not constitute the committee on rules.
12:26So what are we discussing right now?
12:28I suggest that we constitute the committee on rules and discuss it there.
12:33How do I know this?
12:35Eh, ako, Minority Leader, eh.
12:37Hindi ako member ng rules.
12:39Ex-officio, eh.
12:40Tumawag ba?
12:41Hindi.
12:42Ano to?
12:43Binabraso?
12:44Point of order, Madam Chairman.
12:47Where in the rules does it say that an amendment has to pass the committee on rules?
12:53Section 24, Madam President.
12:55Anong sabi po sa Section 24?
12:57The committee shall hold meetings to discuss, decide, and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them.
13:05Madam Chairman, that's not the rule.
13:06The rule is 136.
13:08136.
13:09Can you please, for the third time, may we request the Senate President to read into the record the rule
13:14on physics?
13:14The rules may be amended by means of a motion which would be presented at least one day before its
13:20consideration,
13:21and the vote of the majority of the senators present in the session hall shall be required for its approval.
13:26So I respect their objection.
13:30But how do we determine objections in this Senate?
13:34We vote.
13:35So if there is an objection, they have already explained their position, we have explained our position,
13:44I move that we divide the House, Madam Chair.
13:46May I, Mr. President?
13:50We are several members of the minority here, and only Senator Laxon has spoken.
13:56Why are we re-roading this process, Mr. President?
13:59I have a number of issues that I'd like to raise regarding this motion, Mr. President.
14:05They are citing Section 136, assuming, for the sake of argument, that their position is correct.
14:12The second paragraph, Mr. President, says,
14:15the rules may also be amended by means of a motion which should be presented at least one day before
14:21its consideration.
14:23We submit, Mr. President, that the earlier motion that was entered or was referred to the Committee on Rules.
14:34This is a new motion, Mr. President.
14:36And therefore, we have to take consideration of the one-day requirement before we can act on it, Mr. President.
14:42And that should be, if not tomorrow, because we don't have any session tomorrow,
14:46that should be on Monday, Mr. President.
14:49Again, let me reiterate, the rules may also be amended by means of a motion
14:56which should be presented at least one day before its consideration.
15:00We submit that the motion that was mentioned last May 11 was referred to the Committee on Rules.
15:10This is a new motion, Mr. President, that is being presented on the floor,
15:14which requires that it be presented one day before it is considered.
15:19And therefore, we have to consider this motion on Monday, Mr. President.
15:23As explained by the Acting Majority Leader,
15:28the motion of Senator Marcoleta has been brought to the plenary,
15:35and both the majority and the minority had mentioned Rule Section 136,
15:42and it says that the vote of the majority of the senators present in session
15:46shall be required for the approval.
15:47Madam President.
15:48I believe that this rule has been mentioned more than five times.
15:52Madam President.
15:53I believe also that the interpretation of the rule is different.
15:58So I take note of the manifestation of Senator Panglinan.
16:02Mr. President, if I may just continue, Mr. President.
16:07All in previous...
16:09Senator Laxon actually has the floor.
16:12With the permission of Senator Laxon.
16:13Senator Laxon has the floor.
16:15May we continue with the manifestation of Senator Laxon,
16:19and then after him, he will yield to Senator Panglinan.
16:25Madam President.
16:26The invocation of the Senate President of Rule 136
16:31is premised on the assumption that there was no action taken.
16:36But we took action.
16:37We referred it to the committee on rules.
16:39So Section 24 now applies.
16:42Madam President.
16:44We're going to just ram down our throat
16:46something that the numbers can dictate, Mr. President.
16:51Yes, Senate President.
16:52Madam Chair.
16:53First of all, we're just repeating the arguments.
16:56I respect his argument, but I disagree with it.
16:59Secondly, they've used already three words.
17:03Ram down their throat, railroaded, binabraso.
17:08In this democratic institution, when we disagree, we vote.
17:16When we have rules, we follow the rules.
17:19The particular rule in amending the rules is 136.
17:23We're following that.
17:24So why are we using unparliamentary language to express or try to provoke
17:38the kind of argument we don't want between the majority and minority?
17:42You have your opinion.
17:44We respect that.
17:45We have our opinion.
17:45So how do we resolve that?
17:48By voting.
17:49Now, if you think we violated the rule, then go to court.
17:52But we do not think that we violated the rule.
17:55It is very clear.
17:56So my point of order, Madam Chair, they're out of order by insisting that there's another
18:02rule except for 136.
18:03So I move that we vote on it, Madam President.
18:06We divide the House.
18:07Objection.
18:08Objection.
18:09There's an objection.
18:10Then we vote.
18:10So may we proceed with the vote, Madam President.
18:12Mr. President, I was earlier, it was the manifestation of the presiding officer, the Madam Chairperson,
18:21that after Senator Laxon, I be allowed to speak, Mr. President.
18:24Are we now curtailing my right to speak, Mr. President?
18:28We are not able to ask questions as to why we are amending the rules.
18:32We are not able to ask questions as to who they wish, who will benefit from the amendment
18:39to the rules.
18:40Is this rule, Mr. President, is this rule, Mr. President, for Senator Batov, who is not
18:46here, we would like to raise these valid questions, Mr. President, before we go into a vote,
18:52Madam Chair.
18:52Yes.
18:53We should not be...
18:54How can the presiding officer recognize Senator Pangilinan?
19:00Please know that I would never curtail your right to speak, just as in 2004, I believe you were
19:10seated, and I was a vice presidential candidate of FPJ then, and my microphone was closed, and
19:18my right to speak was closed, was not given.
19:22I remember that time now, and the word noted was said to me.
19:28That will not happen now.
19:30I will not do that to you.
19:32And I'm not curtailing your right to speak, Senator Pangilinan, except that you were speaking
19:37at the same time.
19:38And I was about to recognize you, because Senator Laxon had the floor.
19:44Thank you, Madam President, for that clarification.
19:46So I just wanted to be clear on record, because I recognize you're being emotional, but it
19:53will go on Senate record that the presiding officer was curtailing your right to speak.
19:59I would never do that, and I would not do what I experienced in 2004 in the House of
20:05Representatives in the canvassing of the votes then.
20:09Madam President, with due respect, Mr. President, I was not referring to the presiding officer.
20:15I'm yielding the floor to Senator Pangilinan.
20:17Yes.
20:18Thank you, Senator Laxon.
20:19We recognize Senator Francis Pangilinan.
20:21Yes, Mr. President, and allow me to clarify, Madam President.
20:27I was not referring to the presiding officer in terms of the curtailing of my right to speak
20:35and to raise questions, Mr. President, because it was the Senate President who was moving
20:41to divide the House, Mr. President, without sufficient debates.
20:46Mr. President, this is the first time I'm going to experience this in a long time, wherein
20:51debates are now being curtailed, because there's a motion to divide the House.
20:55Since you're not being curtailed, we would like to hear your objection to the motion.
20:59Mr. President, there are a lot of questions that have to be raised as to why this amendment
21:08to the rules is being undertaken at this time.
21:11President provides, Mr. President, that when we amend our rules, we do so by way of resolution.
21:20We do not have that resolution now.
21:22In fact, Mr. President, a total 48 amendments of our rules all went through resolutions.
21:31This is the first time after 48 amendments, Mr. President, that we do not have a resolution
21:36so that we can both and amend the rules properly, Mr. President.
21:41Point of order.
21:43Point of order takes precedence.
21:44Yes, Senate President.
21:46Point of order takes precedence.
21:47First of all, I hope we learned our lesson.
21:50Senator Pangilinan already apologized to Senator Padilla, then now you're shouting at us.
21:57No, the record will show, nakataped naman eh.
22:00Ang taas-taas ng boses nyo eh.
22:02Diba?
22:03You were shouting at kaya nga hindi magkarinigan.
22:05Now, what's my point of order?
22:07We are not discussing the merits yet of the amendment.
22:12No one's curtailing your rights because wala pa tayo dun eh.
22:18Ang pinagbubutohan natin ngayon, kung pwedeng i-take up sa floor o hindi.
22:23Yun ang itinatake up natin.
22:25And the arguments have already been laid out.
22:31And Senator Pangilinan and I were together in 2009 where we had debates here where Senator Enrile did not even
22:42allow amendments.
22:44And then we voted.
22:46It depends on every issue, Madam Chair.
22:49There's no specific rule of the amount of time.
22:53I was asking the gentleman about certain issues in one resolution.
22:58He refused nga for further interpolation and said, it's time to vote.
23:03They were the majority.
23:05So, Madam Chair, we're here.
23:06We're willing.
23:07Senator Mercoleta is ready to take questions.
23:10Ang pinagbubutohan lang po natin ngayon, simple lang.
23:13Whether or not we can take, whether or not the proposal to amend the rules is in order.
23:22Yun pa lang ho.
23:23Yung specific amendment, sino magbe-benefit, paano magbe-benefit, et cetera.
23:27We support the right of Senator Pangilinan to ask questions, pero wala pa tayo dun eh.
23:33So, again, may I raise the previous question, Madam Chair, the point of order, the parliamentary reason.
23:40Go ahead.
23:40Madam President, kanina pa po ako nakatayo dito at nagtataas ng kamay.
23:45I need to speak because I am the move-on.
23:47Senator Redante Marcoleta.
23:48Thank you, Madam President.
23:49And then we hear Senator Teresa Ondevero and Senator Irvington Ford.
23:53Thank you, Madam President.
23:54The Senate President invoked Section 136, Paragraph 2.
23:59Kung babasahin po natin ito, Madam President, napakasimple lang.
24:02Ito pong Section 136, Paragraph 2, is a special provision in precisely amending our rules.
24:12In Section 24 po, this is a general rule.
24:16Kung mapapansin po rin nyo, it presupposes that we will take up all the bills referred to that committee.
24:24General po yung function niya.
24:27136, Second Paragraph, is a special provision.
24:31Sa principle po ng batas, yun pong special provision.
24:38Takes precedence over a general provision.
24:41Yun lang po, basahin po ninyo.
24:43Hindi nga po, it will not even take one day because this is not a new motion.
24:47Kung mapapansin nyo, nireiterate ko lang po ito eh.
24:51It was already moved last May 11 pa po.
24:55So, that is even more than one day.
24:57So, who is talking about one day here?
24:59Ang pinag-uusapan po natin, unless we respect Section 136, ang linaw-linaw po,
25:08it talks about the rules may also be amended.
25:11Diretso po ito eh.
25:12So, this takes precedence over Section 24.
25:16Simpleng-simple lang po ito eh.
25:19Madam President.
25:21Thank you, Senator Marcoleta.
25:22We recognize Senator Rizan Tivero.
25:24Salamat, Madam President.
25:26Meron din po akong substantive na interpolation sa motion ngayong araw
25:31na nire-raise o itatalakayan ni Senator Marcoleta
25:35yung text na pinamudmod ni Senate President sa atin ngayong hapon.
25:42Pero, una, gusto ko pong segundahan yung sinabi ni Senator Pangilinan.
25:48Bagong motion ito, Madam President.
25:50Bakit po?
25:52Sa ilalim ng Section 24, nirefer yung unang mosyong binanggit ni Senator Marcoleta noon
25:59sa Committee on Rules.
26:02Ngayon kung sasabihin na ibinalik yung mosyong iyon, yung unang mosyong ni Senator Marcoleta sa plenary,
26:10sino ang gumawa noon?
26:13Dapat ang Committee on Rules.
26:15Na-initiate na po ang prosesong iyon, alinsunod sa Section 24.
26:21Eh, hindi pa nga po nakoconstitute ang Committee on Rules.
26:25Wala pa nga pong minority contingent sa Committee on Rules.
26:29So, wala pang body na pwedeng ibalik yung unang mosyong ni Senator Marcoleta sa plenary.
26:35Kaya ko sinusugundahan ang sinabi ni Senator Pangilinan.
26:39Ito pong mosyon na gustong talakayin ni Senator Marcoleta at pinamudmod ni Senate President sa atin.
26:46Bagong mosyon po siya.
26:48Kung kaya't, nag-a-apply po ang Rule Section 136 na kailangan bigyan ng isang araw pa.
26:56Pagkatapos ito, i-move para talakayin.
27:00And tama si Senator Pangilinan, sa lunes pa po yun, Madam President.
27:04Salamat, Madam President.
27:06Madam President, without giving meaning to anything,
27:10ito pong mahirap kasi kung wala po tayong legal background dito.
27:16Kaya sinasabi ko na nga po, napakasabi, hindi po bagong mosyon ito eh.
27:20Hindi siya bagong mosyon.
27:22Kasasabi ko lang po, May 11, minub ko na po ito eh.
27:26Sino po magsasabi na bagong mosyon?
27:28Point of order, ad hominem.
27:31Sinasabi ko lamang po, ang sinasabi ko lang, kanina ko po po sinasabi.
27:34Hindi po tama yun.
27:36Section 136, ay walang kinalaman, walang alam sa batas.
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