ICYMI - Sotto, Lacson vs. Marcoleta, SP Cayetano over Senate rules and procedures | GMA News

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]Motion to adjourn is not debatable.

[00:00:05]We're not debating.

[00:00:09]We're not debating.

[00:00:10]>> I would just like to reiterate for the record the proposal to amend rule 14 section 41 Senate session. The proposal, Madame President, is by way of an additional paragraph, section 41 C. after section 41B of rule 14 of the Senate rules which will state as follows. Section 41 C allow a senator for justifiable reasons to attend and participate in the session through teleconference, video conference or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means using appropriate information and communication technology. I so moved Madame President We take note of the motion of Senator Odante Marleta. I recognize Senator Ping.

[00:01:10]>> Yes. Thank you, Madame President. Uh this is a parliamentary inquiry. What is the status of the motion introduced by the honorable Marcoa last May 11? Has it been referred to the committee and rules?

[00:01:29]>> I am told that it's been referred to the committee on rules majority leader.

[00:01:32]>> Yes, it has been referred to the committee and rules and uh that's why in this uh particular uh um deliberation the committee on rules is giving it back to the floor for plenary action. Madame President, >> thank you Mr. President. Uh has the committee on rules been uh been constituted?

[00:01:56]I believe that uh Senator Joel Villanovva is the acting majority leader and would be the best position to answer the question.

[00:02:03]>> In the meantime, I recognize Senate President Kayatano.

[00:02:05]>> Madam Chair, with the permission of Senator Villain Nova, so the committee on rules is not reporting out the >> No, my my question, Mr. President, I'm sorry, Madame President, >> uh with your permission. My question is has the committee on rules been constituted?

[00:02:23]>> Yes. So madame president the answer there is the same answer to the question of uh senator pangilinan and senator uh former senate president sto that in accordance with section 19 uh this the same uh they continue to function. Having said that, I was explaining that the motion of Senator Villinva was not for the committee on rules to report out what was referred to them, but to return to the plenary because if you look at section 136 uh of our rules, the rules may be amended by means of a motion which should be presented at least one day before its consideration and a vote of majority senators present shall be required for its approval. So you do not need the endorsement nor the forwarding of the committee of rules for the amendment of the committee on uh for the amendments of the rules. So the only requirement is that uh it is put on the floor uh at least one day before or the proposal is made and that a majority of the senators present uh will will vote for its approval. So I just wanted to clarify that uh just so that we don't have any miscommunication that uh whether or not the rules committee met who are the members etc because right now that's irrelevant because we have given back to the plenary the proposal.

[00:03:57]Yeah.

[00:03:57]>> Oh very clear. Thank you Senate President.

[00:03:59]>> Madame President >> Senator Luxon's recommend >> does it mean that we are now disregarding the committees of the Senate? So the uh the committee chairman or the chairman of any committee including the rules committee may just report out any uh any motion or any resolution referred to it uh in plenary and then just you know it is within his power to just report it out by himself without any deliberation in the committee without any committee report. Is that the new rule now Mr. President Madame Madame President >> there's there's no new rule. I read the rule.

[00:04:39]>> Senator Laxon is referring to resolutions or communications or anything referred to the committee on uh rules. We're talking about a motion to amend the rules. We had the option of taking it up but since uh everyone asked for one more day it was given to the committee on rules. the committee and rules as an option to take it up but the acting uh uh majority leader or acting chairman of the committee gave it back to plenary and the plenary is more um how do I put it uh >> supreme >> supreme thank you senator Lakon over the committee so we didn't disregard the committee it is our choice from the start whether we want to give it to the committee or not so when we give it so for example Um I have a motion now to to extend the session to June 12 instead of June uh five.

[00:05:41]That could be given to the committee on rules or upon coordination with the house. the plenary can decide it uh directly or we can give it to the committee and rules and after he talks to the house of representatives. He can even report it out or he can easily uh legally morally just say that uh I am tossing it back to the plenary which is what's happening today president. uh that is assuming that there there was no referral but in this case and I'd like to to invite the attention of the body to journal number 62 dated May 11, 2026 and if I may uh read the the the uh particular portion of this journal proposed at 6:25 p.m. The session was resumed.

[00:06:33]Proposed amendment to the rules of the Senate. Senator Marcoa proposed an amendment to rule 14 Senate sessions of the rules by inserting a new paragraph C under rule 41 which reads A or C. allow a senator for justifiable reasons to attend and participate in the session through teleconference, video conference or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means using appropriate information and communications technology.

[00:07:06]Now here's the portion Mr. President.

[00:07:08]Oh, Madame President, while expressing no objection to the proposal, Senate President Cayano a suggested giving the committee on rules time to discuss the matter. Now, my question is, was there any discussion by the committee on rules? Apparently, there was none because it's now being reported out by the acting majority leader without consultation with any of the members.

[00:07:33]And by the way, Mr. Madame President, committee on rules, >> I believe that it was mentioned and I will reiterate from my understanding that there was no committee on rules meeting because that motion is reverted back to plenary mad. Meaning we are not uh ignoring the fact that of course committees must hold meetings but this particular motion is being referred back to plenary. And may we just put on record, it says in rule or section 136, the rules may also be amended by means of a motion which should be presented at least one day and we're complying with that before its consideration and the vote of the majority of the senators present in this session shall be required for its approval. I believe that is what the Senate President had.

[00:08:27]Evidently, Madame President, action was taken and the action was to refer it to the committee on rules since the position of majority floor leader was uh uh vacated. So, how can the committee properly function in the absence of a committee uh yeah of the committee members had had stated, >> let me finish of a continuing operations of the committee. There are vacated madame president members committee on rules. So we cannot invoke continunity because we vacate vacated all committees all positions including the members. And may I invite you to uh section 24 of our rules. Madame President, the committees shall hold meetings to discuss, decide and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them. This was transmitted to the committee on rules.

[00:09:25]So the committee shall hold including the committee on rules shall hold meetings to discuss, decide and submit a report. There's no report Mr. President or Madame President.

[00:09:34]>> Madame President, >> so we're violating our own rules.

[00:09:38]>> We recognize Senate President.

[00:09:40]>> Mr. President, the chair already made the ruling and it's not appropriate to argue with the chair because as explained to Senator Lon, the committee did not report it out. He read the journal of May 11, but he did not read the motion of Senator Joel today. His motion today was pursuant to rule 136 of the rules, a motion to amend the rules.

[00:10:06]Meaning, if Joel was no longer the majority leader, if I was the majority leader now or even an ordinary member, that motion was carried. No one objected that we take it uh up because madame chair we're bringing it back to plenary.

[00:10:23]So natural po discussion s committee on rules committee on rules we did that on May 11 so that everyone will have an opportunity to study the rule. It's a very simple amendment. So we should go to the discussion of the amendment if anyone is objecting to the amendment.

[00:10:45]But definitely the the right to propose an amendment is a right guaranteed by our rules. Senator Marcoa has an amendment. We should go to discussing the merits or the merits of having that rule. You you already ruled that it is proper for the plenary to take it up. So may I request or move that we if there are any objection we discuss their objection.

[00:11:09]>> I'm objecting that that's the effect of my manifestation. Madame President, I'm objecting because I'm invoking section 24 of our rules and as I uh read into the records the journal of May 11, 2026 refer to committee on rules >> and there was no discussion. Action was taken actually by uh by the uh by this body. Then madame chair if there's an objection may I move that we divide the house objection >> on that on that issue not on the issue of whether or not the rule is good that your issue is whether or not it's proper >> to take it up on the floor uh the the position of the majority is that there's no rule being violated so we will vote the uh presiding officer has already ruled but The gentleman continues to object. So, we have to vote on it. Mr. President, >> we're not voting on the amendment yet.

[00:12:08]We're voting on whether the amendment is proper or not.

[00:12:12]>> Yes. Interjection. Uh, Madame President.

[00:12:15]>> Yes. Minority Leader, Senator Sto, >> the we will have to support that uh that um resolution or or thinking of uh Senator Lon which is we did not constitute the committee on rules. So what are we discussing right now? I I I suggest that we we constitute the committee on rules and discuss it there.

[00:12:41]How do I know this?

[00:12:51]Point of order, Madame Chairman, where in the rules does it say that an amendment has to pass the committee on rules.

[00:13:00]>> Section 24. Madame President, >> anab section 24, >> the committee shall hold meetings to discuss, decide, and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them. Madame Chairman, that's not the rule. The rule is 136.

[00:13:15]>> 136. Can you please for the third time may we request a Senate President to read into the record?

[00:13:21]>> The rules may be amended by means of a motion which would be presented at least one day before its consideration and the vote of the majority of the senators present in the session hall shall be required for its approval. So I respect their uh objection. But how do we determine objections in this Senate? We vote, Mr. >> President.

[00:13:43]>> So if there is an objection, uh they have uh already explained their position. We have explained our position. I move that we divide the house. Madame Chair, >> Senator, Senator Laxon has the floor.

[00:13:56]May we continue with the uh manifestation of Senator Lon and then he after him he will yield to Senator um Tang Linan. Madame President, the invocation of the Senate President uh of Rule 136 is premised on the assumption that there was no action taken, but we took action. We referred it to the committee on rules. So section 24 now applies. Madame President, we're going to just run down our throat something that uh numbers can be made.

[00:14:30]Madam Chair, Mr. President, >> yes, Senate President. Madam Chair, first of all, we're just repeating the arguments. I respect his argument, but I disagree with it. Secondly, they've used already three words: ram down their throat, railroaded, binabaso.

[00:14:49]In this democratic institution, we when we disagree, we vote.

[00:14:57]When we have rules, we follow the rules.

[00:15:01]The particular rule in amending the rules is 136. We're following that. So why are we using unparliamentary language to express or try to provoke the kind of argument we don't want between the majority and minority. You have your opinion. We respect that. We have our opinion. So how do we resolve that? By voting. Now, if you think we violated the rule, then go to court. But we do not think that we violated the rule. It is very clear. So, my point of order, Madame Chair, they're out of order by insisting that uh there's another rule except for 136. So, I move that we vote on it. Madame President, we divide the house >> section be given the right. Madam President Senator Marlet and then we hear Senator Madam President Madame President the Senate President invoke section 136 paragraph 2 section 136 paragraph 2 is a special provision in precisely amending ing our rules in section 24. This is a general rule.

[00:16:25]It proposes it presupposes that it will take up all the bills referred to that committee. General function 136 second paragraph is a special provision.

[00:16:39]The principle special provision takes precedence over a general provision.

[00:16:52]It will not even take one day because this is not a new motion.

[00:16:58]It was already moved last May May 11. So that is even more than one day. So who is talking about one day here?

[00:17:10]Unless unless we respect section 136, it talks about the rules may also be amended.

[00:17:21]So this takes precedence over section 24 simply simply.

[00:17:28]Madame President, my question is why is the majority in such a hurry to tackle this motion?

[00:17:39]This allowing a senator for justifiable reasons to attend and participate in the session through teleconference. Whereas in rule 14 section 41 under B it says convenient hold the session through teleconference, video conference or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means using appropriate informations and communications technology system due to force majour madame president or the occurrence of a national emergency.

[00:18:12]I guess madame president this justifiable reason what is that? Does that fall under force majour or does it fall under national emergency? Madame president, >> my question is why are we in so hurry?

[00:18:26]Why are they the majority in a hurry to tackle this motion and divide the house?

[00:18:34]Madame President, >> I I need I we we need we need answers in the minority. Madam Chair, >> or is it because, Madame Chair, they are in a hurry because of news reports that probably two of our colleagues might land in jail this weekend. Is that the reason why? Is that the reason why they have to have this inserted? The section 41C announcement Madame President, that is my question.

[00:19:10]Madam President, >> Madame Chair, the gentleman is out of order because his question Sadal Baket can be discussed in the actual uh motion uh can be discussed after the motion whether we should take it up. We take offense that it's just like us saying are you afraid if we have the hearing on the blue ribbon on flood control you you do not make that kind of statements here in the Senate because you assume good faith from everyone that rule May 11. So madame chair I move that we divide the house >> and the voting will be done via madam president >> minority leader >> um I move to adjourn or a colum colum call >> higher presidents madam president >> so I only see the minority leader well >> representing the minority. The others had left >> on Madame Chair we will not object but for the record >> they scampered out and left the minority leader instead of discussing the rule.

[00:20:37]We are not even discussing the rule yet.

[00:20:42]And then uh ganuna allegation nil and no one from the minority stood up to say that out of order see senator Irwin Tulfo. So we will not adj object madam chair. In fact uh we move that we adjourn till 5:00 p.m. President Monday. Before that motion to adjourn is not debatable debating.

[00:21:14]We're not debating then we will indeed adjourn uh >> parliamentary inquiry. Yes.

[00:21:22]Madame poorum.

[00:21:28]>> We had a corum. Yes.

[00:21:29]>> Yes madam. president.

[00:21:37]It doesn't matter if they walk out. Yes, sir.

[00:21:40]>> I think we we still have the corum.

[00:21:42]Madame President, >> Madame President, once there is a call, you have to call the role.

[00:21:53]There was a motion to dispense whatever that is.

[00:21:56]>> Not a situation. Madam President willingly walk out Madame President as reiterated by the Senate President and as conveyed by the minority leader, former Senate President, the rule states that the motion to adjurnn takes precedence. I'm not taking sides >> 5:00 p.m. Monday. We will adjourn session >> until 5 >> until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, >> June 1st, 2026.

[00:22:28]>> June 2nd, first June 1. June 1, >> the birthday of Senator Lakon. So, we will have cooler heads. Okay.