BINABALEWALA ANG ATING RULES. KAMI SA SB-11 AY TUTOL DITO DAHIL IMPUNITY ITO!
Ang nangyari ngayon ay malinaw na pag-abandona sa tungkulin, pagpapabaya sa responsibilidad, at tahasang pagsasawalang-bahala sa mga alituntunin ng institusyong ito. Hindi maaaring patigilin ang Senado sa pagtatrabaho dahil lang tumatangging mamuno ang presiding officer nito.
Absolute disrespect for the Filipino people. What entitlement.
Mag-boycott tayo.
Huwag mag trabaho.
Hayaan natin ang mga nakabinbing panukala.
Mga senador, binabayaran kayo ng taumbayan. Pambabastos ito sa Pilipino.
SOLID BLOC 11: THIS IS NOT SENATE INDEPENDENCE BUT A BOYCOTT OF DUTY
The Solid Bloc 11 minority senators were present today for the 5 p.m. resumption of session, ready to work, ready to vote on pending bills and ready to keep the Senate running, but the majority led by SP Cayetano chose not to show up.
They did not even have the courtesy to inform us when they ignored the rules, and could not extend the basic decency of telling the minority that they had no intention of convening.
Let us focus on the work, because the Senate has serious business before it, and if the majority wants to protest, deliver privilege speeches or defend its position, the proper place to do that is on the floor, not by making the chamber stand still.
Ang Senado ay hindi pag-aari ng iisang may hawak ng gavel. Institusyon ito ng taumbayan at napakadaming mahalagang panukala ang nabibinbin dahil sa drama ng mayorya.
Important measures were left hanging because of the majority’s boycott, including the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, the confirmation of generals before the Commission on Appointments and the bills granting Philippine citizenship to Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos.
Let us call this for what it is: the claim that this is about Senate independence is false, because what happened today was about the rule of law, public accountability and a lawful process before the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan that no senator, no bloc and no presiding officer controls.
This is a boycott because of the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and the public should not be asked to believe another convenient line from a leadership that has repeatedly twisted the truth.
Today was a step toward accountability in a controversy that the public has long demanded action on, and after years of people asking why nothing was happening in flood control investigations, it is unacceptable to suddenly call the rule of law an attack on the Senate.
Is Senate President Alan Cayetano now questioning the rule of law?
Sa totoo lang, ang gusto nila ay kampihan, hindi prinsipyo. Gusto nila sumama kami sa boycott, patahimikin ang Senado at gamitin ang minority para manatili ang Senate President sa puwesto habang iniiwasan ang tunay na test of numbers sa floor.
This may be the first time in decades that Senate work stopped because the presiding officer himself refused to work, because even during typhoons and the height of the pandemic, work was suspended only because of necessity or because systems still had to be set up, not because the leadership chose a boycott of duty.
The public has every right to ask whether SP Cayetano is repeating what he did in the House of Representatives, when questions were raised about a leader refusing to step aside, refusing to convene and holding up proceedings when the numbers were no longer certain.
The question now is just as serious: will they do this again for the next two session days, and will they keep the Senate idle simply to avoid facing the numbers on the floor?
The Senate should open its doors, call the session to order and return to work, because no Facebook post, no appeal to institutional pride and no political drama can erase the basic duty of senators to show up, follow the law and serve the people.
And lastly, we call on the Filipino people to watch the Senate closely, because when an institution refuses to work, public vigilance becomes the people’s first line of defense.
Justice Caguioa’s concurring opinion on Bato’s case is superbly written.
This case will define the Court. For too long, power has found ways to outrun justice. It has hidden in office, in influence, in violence, and now, in the language of due process. That ends here. The Court cannot become a refuge for impunity. It has always been, and must always remain, where justice refuses to yield.
Clearly, disinformation has no place in this chamber. The sowing of intrigues has no place in this plenary hall. Fake news has no place in this plenary hall. And I say this by presenting the facts.
This representation was Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments from August 12 until May 11. And the records will speak for itself. Sabi nga nila, we should seek the truth from the facts and not from disinformation video propaganda.
What are the facts from August 12 until May 11? The Committee on Constitutional Amendments never held hearings on Constitutional Change — that in itself is proof. That is “haka-haka,” this conspiracy to commit or to amend the Constitution for whatever reason: self-serving, term extension, no-el, etc. These are lies.
In this plenary hall and in this chamber, the Senate did not entertain Charter Change under my watch as Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments — for the record. And I support the striking off the record — that it be stricken off the record.
Senator, every single thing you worked hard for all went to waste because of one horrible propaganda video.
It is already disgraceful that you peddle fake news outside the Senate. Do you really have to bring it inside the plenary?
Disgusting. Hindi po ba kayo nahihiya?"
‘ANG KAILANGAN NATIN CHARACTER CHANGE’
Matapos magpresenta si Sen. Imee Marcos ng umano’y dokumentasyon kaugnay ng mga isinasagawang hakbang para sa term extension, charter change at iba pang isyu sa Senado, nilinaw ni Sen. Tito Sotto na hindi siya pabor sa cha-cha.
“Ang kailangan natin, ca-cha. Character change,” saad niya.
PANOORIN: https://t.co/69keanlhp4
'THAT'S VERY FOUL' 😡
WATCH: Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri looks annoyed as Sen. Imee Marcos plays a video in the plenary about a supposed plan to launch Charter change to extend the term of her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson has belied Imee's claim, calling it an 'outright' lie. | 📹: Hannah Ty, BNC
RELATED STORY: https://t.co/b3ok03kaAV
𝗦𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗢, 𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜 𝗦𝗜𝗬𝗔 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔 '𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗔'
PANOORIN: Sinuportahan ni Senador Tito Sotto ang naging mosyon ni Senador Migz Zubiri na alisin sa kanilang record ang di umano'y 'horrible propaganda video' na ipinresenta ni Senadora Imee Marcos.
Paglilinaw ni Sotto, hindi siya kailanman pumabor sa 'Charter Change' simula noong magsilbi siya dahil ang gusto niya ay 'Character Change'. | via ANNE CORTEZ
📽️ Senate PH
‘GANITO NA BA KABABA ANG POLITIKA?’
Sen. Risa Hontiveros backed Sen. Migz Zubiri in objecting to the controversial video shown on the Senate floor, questioning what she described as the worsening state of politics in the country.
“Uulitin ko lang po ang sinabi ko last week… ganito na ba kababa ang inaabot ng politika sa Pilipinas? Dahil hanggang dito sa floor ay magbabatuhan tayo ng putik?” Hontiveros said during plenary proceedings, as tensions rose over the presentation introduced by Sen. Imee Marcos.
Hontiveros said senators are used to debates, criticism and difficult questions, but stressed that the material shown crossed the line. “Sanay naman tayo sa pakikipag-debate, pagtanggap ng batikos at pagsagot sa mahihirap na tanong. Ang pinakita pong video ay fake news,” she said.
'𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐎 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍 𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐆-𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄'
Iginiit ni Sen. Win Gatchalian na hindi nila kailanman napag-usapan sa minority bloc ang isyu ng charter change, taliwas sa nilalaman ng dokumentasyon na iprinesenta ni Sen. Imee Marcos.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, nakatuon umano ang kanilang usapan sa pag-aayos ng mga problema sa bansa at pagbabalik ng tiwala ng publiko sa mga institusyon.
Ipinunto niya na hindi nakakatulong ang pagpapalabas ng ganoong klaseng video dahil maaari itong magdulot ng negatibong pananaw ng taumbayan sa institusyon.
📽️ Senate PH
Minority bloc Senators expressing their disagreement with Imee Marcos below-the-belt, and cheap insinuations while exercising decency, restraint, and maintaining parliamentary behavior.
Statesmanship remains alive in the Senate.
'INDAY BADIDAY NA BA TAYO DITO SA SENADO?'
WATCH: Privilege speech ni Sen. Imee Marcos na may nilulutong charter change para sa term extension ni PBBM, Senador at Congressmen, sinopla.
Pinabubura ni Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri ang tinawag niyang “propaganda video” na iprinisinta ni Sen. Marcos.
Ayon kay Zubiri, kung galit siya sa kapatid niya malaya siyang magsalita. | RH 28 @RaymundDadpaas, DZRH News
PANGILINAN: FAKE NEWS HAS NO PLACE IN THE SENATE
WATCH: Sen. Kiko Pangilinan strongly seconds the motion of Sen. Migz Zubiri to strike off the record a video played by Sen. Imee Marcos alleging a supposed constitutional assembly plot to extend Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ term and other political accusations against her fellow senators. | via @hannaaahty, https://t.co/9R0Mcay5im
‘THAT’S VERY FOUL’
WATCH: Sen. Migz Zubiri was seen reacting strongly after Sen. Imee Marcos played a video in plenary alleging a supposed constitutional assembly plot to extend President Bongbong Marcos’ term and other political accusations. | @hannaaahty, https://t.co/9R0Mcay5im