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.
“Kung walang political dynasties, ‘di sana naiwasan ang Senate primetime bida… Ang starring mga pamilyang nagkakampihan para sa posisyon as lead characters,” Akbayan Rep. Cendaña said as House Bill 8389 on prohibiting political dynasties was tackled in the plenary. | via @agathamgregorio
PUMILI NANG TAMA
The country we deserve is shaped by the choices we make.
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Boss: “You arrived 10 minutes late.”
Employee: “Yesterday I stayed late finishing that last-minute report.”
Boss: “I understand… but rules are rules.”
The next day, the employee arrived exactly on time.
And at 6:00 p.m. sharp, shut down the computer.
No extra emails. No work taken home.
If punctuality is non-negotiable, then effort must have boundaries too.
Recognition cannot be one-sided.
When mistakes are highlighted but dedication is ignored, the real message becomes clear:
“Do only what’s required. Nothing more.”
Empathy costs nothing.
The absence of it? That can cost you everything—especially your best people
A Cabinet secretary telling people to have "simple" meals while billions have been stolen by bureaucrats and elected officials is NOT a good look no matter how you try to spin it.
WALANG MAKAKALIMOT, DAPAT MAY MANAGOT! ✊
Simula Oct. 12, 2025 at sa bawat susunod na Linggo, inaanyayahan namin ang bawat Pilipino na magkabit ng WHITE RIBBON sa inyong mga tahanan at komunidad bilang simbolo ng ating pagkondena sa korapsyon.
#WalangMakakalimot
Ordinary Filipino citizens deserve an immediate tax break. If politicians can find a way to steal billions from the annual budget, it's because there is enough money to steal than spend.
We suffered enough and lost too much, to deserve real change that benefits us.
Mapapamura ka talaga sa galit. Huwag po nating kalimutan ito.
Ginawang GATASAN ang gobyerno. Kay Zaldy Co palang umano ito. Isipin niyo ang iba pang congressman na may insertions, cut ng DPWH at mga kontratista.
During the senate hearings, estimates are the national budget can do with P1 trillion less. Napupunta lang ito sa kickback, insertions, lagay sa substandard or ghost projects.