Lacson sa proseso ng paghain ng mosyon sa Senado: ‘Is that the new rule?’

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]Thank you, Madam President.

[00:00:02]Madam President, I would just like to reiterate for the record the proposal to amend Rule 14, Section 41, Senate session. The proposal, Madam President, is by way of an additional paragraph, >> [snorts] >> Section 41C, after Section 41B of Rule 14 of the Senate rules, which will state as follows: Section 41C, 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 move, Madam President.

[00:00:59]We take note of the motion of Senator Rodante Marcoleta. I recognize Senator Pimentel.

[00:01:04]>> Yes, thank you, Madam President.

[00:01:06]Uh, this is a parliamentary inquiry.

[00:01:09]What is the status of the motion introduced by the honorable Marcoleta last May 11?

[00:01:18]Has it been referred to the Committee on Rules?

[00:01:22]I am told that it's been referred to the Committee on Rules, Majority Leader.

[00:01:25]Yes, it has been referred to the Committee on Rules, and uh that's why in this uh particular uh um deliberation, the Committee on Rules is uh giving it back to the floor for a plenary action, uh Madam President.

[00:01:40]Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, has the Committee on Rules been uh been constituted?

[00:01:49]I believe that uh Senator Joel Villanueva is the acting Majority Leader, >> Yes.

[00:01:53]>> and would be the best position to answer the question.

[00:01:56]>> In the meantime, I recognize Senate President Cayetano. Madam Chair, with the permission of Senator Villanueva.

[00:02:03]So, the Committee on Rules is not reporting out the No, my my question, Mr. President. I'm sorry, uh Madam President. Uh with your permission, my question [clears throat] is, has the Committee on Rules been constituted?

[00:02:16]Yes.

[00:02:17]So, Madam President, the answer there is the same answer to the question of uh Senator Pangilinan and Senator or uh former Senate President Soto, that in accordance with Section 19, uh it's the same.

[00:02:34]Uh they continue to function. Having said that, I was explaining that the motion of Senator Villanueva 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 the our rules, the rules may be amended by means of a motion, which should be presented at least 1 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 on 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 1 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. Yeah. Uh very clear. Thank you, Senator Madam President Senator Lacson's recommendation Does it mean that we are now disregarding the committees of the Senate?

[00:03:59]So, the committee chairman or the chairman of any committee, including the rules committee, may just report out any any motion or any resolution referred to it in plenary [clears throat] 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.

[00:04:26]Is that the new rule now, Mr. President?