@joymayanne "Sa pagtugon sa pandemya, sa pagkasira ng planeta, sa kahirapan at gutom at pang-aabusong dumidiin sa napakaraming Pilipino. Paalala ang Araw ng Kalayaan: Walang Pilipinong nag-iisa. Tayo ang lakas ng ating kapwa." 🇵🇭
— Naga City Mayor Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo
In public school, our feeding program was an exclusive club: only the skinniest kids got the free meals, which left many hungry but "not skinny enough" kids out of luck.
At a recent reunion, I ran into one of those classmates. He’s doing genuinely well in life.
Seeing him thrive proves early nourishment works and childhood support builds successful adults.
That is why House Bill 9466 is critical.
By implementing universal feeding for Kindergarten to Grade 3, it eliminates the stigma and bureaucracy of measuring a child’s ribs before handing them a meal.
Expanding the program to 200 days tackles learning poverty head-on.
Every Filipino child deserves that fighting chance without having to prove their poverty first.
More info about this HB here: https://t.co/X5zoG1TZX9
@lahingpnoy May isang video offloading the maletas from a chopper and bat parang walang effort habang binubuhat. If puno ang maleta ng tig 1k bill, it would weight around 25kgs. Its not giving eme https://t.co/PSAX777L9I
This is exactly what we need in the person of Senator Win Gatchalian: composed, calm, and decent. In a time when emotions often overshadow reason, his demeanor reflects the kind of leadership that listens, understands, and acts with dignity.
WATCH: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian says they have yet to formally ask President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to call for a special session, noting that the matter needs to be discussed first by all senators, including the group of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. | via @HarleneDelgado
Ganito na lang.
I-assume natin na pumasok kahapon ang lahat ng 22 Senators na maaaring pumasok, dahil bayad naman sila ng taumbayan para pumasok.
May quorum? Yes.
Ilan ang kailangang bumoto para makagalaw ang Senado sa isang ordinary motion? 12, dahil iyon ang majority ng 22 Senators present. Ngayon, kung may motion si Senator Sotto na i-declare na bakante ang lahat ng posisyon sa Senado, at 12 Senators ang bumoto pabor, ano ang resulta?
Mababakante ang mga posisyon, kasama ang Senate Presidency. Ganito rin nabakante ang mga posisyon nung huling namuno si Senator Sotto at nag-motion si Senator Villanueva nung May 11, 2026 to declare all Senate leadership positions vacant.
Makakahalal ba sila agad ng Senate President? Hindi, kung walang makakuha ng 13 votes. The Constitution requires the Senate President to be elected by majority vote of all the Members of the Senate.
Pero makakahalal ba sila ng Senate President Pro Tempore? Yes.
Bakit? Dahil ang Constitution mismo ang nagsasabi na each House shall choose such other officers as it may deem necessary. Ang Senate President Pro Tempore ay hindi Senate President. Isa siyang ibang officer na kinikilala ng Rules of the Senate na dapat ihalal ng majority of all members of the Senate.
So ano ang dapat gawin? I-harmonize ang Constitution at ang Rules of the Senate.
Dapat ba ang interpretation ay hahayaang walang mahalal at maparalisa ang Senado? Hindi. A reading that leaves the Senate unable to organize or transact business should be avoided, because the Constitution contemplates a functioning Senate, not a paralyzed chamber.
Hindi hinalal si Senator Gatchalian bilang Senate President Pro Tempore para pumalit kay Senator Legarda personally. Hinalal siya para punan ang posisyong nabakante dahil sa lehitimong motion ni Senator Sotto.
Hindi rin siya nahalal na Senate President by 12 votes.
Ang nangyari ay ito: nabakante ang Senate Presidency; walang nahalal na Senate President dahil walang 13 votes; ngunit may valid election ng Senate President Pro Tempore under the Constitution and the Rules of the Senate. By operation of the Rules of the Senate, the Senate President Pro Tempore acts as Senate President while the office is vacant.
Hindi lamang sinabi ng Avelino v. Cuenco na hindi kasama sa pag-determine ng quorum ang mga Senador na hindi maaaring i-compel na umattend. Sinabi rin ng kaso na makatwiran na bigyang-bisa ang nais ng nakararami, lalo na sa pagpili ng mamumuno sa Senado, dahil ang pagpili ng Senate leadership ay nakadepende sa will of its members.
Higit sa lahat, hindi pinapayagan ng Constitution na paralisado ang kahit isang Kapulungan ng Kongreso. Kailangan pa ba talagang isulat iyon? Kahit ang taumbayan, hindi papayag na hindi magtrabaho ang mga pinapasweldo nila sa gobyerno.
Kahit grade 1 student, pumapasok nang walang bayad dahil alam niyang tungkulin niyang mag-aral. Ang mga senador pa kaya? Sila itong may malaking budget para kumuha ng magagaling na abogado na magpapaliwanag kung ano ang maaari at hindi maaaring gawin sa Senado.