Senate Power Struggle Explained: Remote Voting, Walkouts, and Leadership Clash | Prof. Edmund Tayao

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]Heat. Heat.

[00:00:30]The Senate minority and majority remain deadlocked over the changing of the rules to allow virtual participation of its absent members. Good morning. I'm attorney Karen Himemen and this is at the forefront.

[00:00:51]Palance press officer Clare Castro said there is no calamity present to justify the electronic voting at the Senate, but she clarifies it is up to the senators to decide on the matter. On Tuesday, the Senate minority block walked out of the plenary hall after members of the majority tried to push for an amendment that would allow senators to attend sessions or even vote remotely for a justifiable reason.

[00:01:17]Another big task for the upper chamber is the trial of Vice President Sarah Duterte. How can the Senate hurdle this impass? To answer this and other issues, we'll be speaking with political analyst Professor Edwin Tao. Good morning, Professor Ed.

[00:01:32]>> Good morning, Attorney Karen.

[00:01:34]>> Let's start with this issue on remote participation and voting. The Senate minority and majority are deadlocked over the issue of allowing virtual participation of absent senators. Why do you think the majority was pushing for remote participation and voting?

[00:01:53]>> Uh, you know, Attorney Karen, I can't I can't help but uh think of this initiative as still part of the whole saga. No, that's still ongoing. No, starting with the sudden change of uh leadership uh uh two weeks ago I think.

[00:02:09]No. Uh and uh I I trace it as uh starting there because uh at that that particular instance at all the rules have already been somehow uh used no uh in their favor. obviously whether there's an arrest warrant or not, Senator Batau is in hiding and that uh you know the vote was uh obviously critical that they had to ask him to come uh in person uh to be able to vote.

[00:02:42]Now that alone is an indication that uh you know uh there's a need to be present to vote.

[00:02:49]>> Mhm.

[00:02:49]>> Because that's in their current rules.

[00:02:52]>> Well, yeah. uh it's the current rule because uh if we go back in time there's a reason why uh voting has to be done in person. Now in even uh even the argument that the uh other side is saying that uh uh during the time of incarceration of then senator and now representative de Lima that there was uh there was an effort no to uh have her participate but again that's an entirely different uh uh was this not only different time it was it was the time of the pandemic not to mention that the difference with the former senator dilemma is that uh She surrendered.

[00:03:32]>> No. Uh she's not a fugitive and the request was only to participate. Voting is an entirely different uh matter especially if we factor in the as you've mentioned the coming impeachment. I mean as uh as someone who knows uh how litigation happens, the appreciation of evidence and even the appreciation of uh testimonies no would require really one to be there uh present when you're talking to a person uh you know personally no face to face body language is a very significant consideration. So uh how can you justify that video body language? Not necessarily uh the same as in when you are actually right in front of the person doing the testimony. Not to mention of course distractions you and I know I mean we've been teaching even during the pandemic and there are so many distractions even if we do online classes now there are many disruptions that's why we require students to always have their cam turned on during classes >> and facing themselves right but professor ed for as for me then as a lawyer online voting is just to it's just targeted for the impeachment trial because in the impeachment trial for there to be a conviction they they need 16 >> physical votes meaning senators that are physically present. So that alone senator because he's absent it won't count in favor of the conviction 16 meaning let's say you majority will acquit that's 13 from the majority. So it's not to me as a looking at it as a lawyer reason is it because they're afraid of another leadership change senator won't they need 13 physical votes again from the majority.

[00:05:49]>> Exactly. Exactly. So again uh you you put it right. I mean to my mind They were the ones who petitioned the Supreme Court to render the original impeachment effort no to be set aside. And because it was set aside the decision of the Supreme Court is uh for the House of Representatives really to be more thorough before numbers game the impeachment of then president motion to uh what's this transmit the articles of impeachment this time house of representatives and the House of Representatives already did no precisely that kind that that that requirement that prescription and in the process of course impeachment legal process political instrument.

[00:06:51]So again to my mind it's no longer a question whether VP will be convicted or not. The people have become already aware of the extent of the allegations.

[00:07:02]>> Mhm. Well, going back to the issues in the Senate.

[00:07:07]So, uh yeah, you're right in saying that it's to my mind it's no longer just about the conviction. It's about the uh rickety uh uh you know condition of the Senate leadership now.

[00:07:19]>> Okay. It's a rickety condition push for a Senate leadership change new majority block. Do you think from the side of Senator if he hadn't showed up in Senate, why did he even have to risk himself showing up and being arrested just for this leadership change? I mean like we discussed as lawyers impeachment they can already have this opportunity not to have uh VP S convicted 16 physical >> physically present senators but what is at stake here? Was it just Senator Alan Peter wanting to become Senate President?

[00:08:07]What is your analysis of this? Uh well I mean for obvious reasons uh I mean uh even what happened in the House of Representatives when he was about to be uh replaced as speaker I mean everyone knows what happened there.

[00:08:29]So in other words, it's not uh a question whether or not he really wanted to be a Senate President or not because if I'm not mistaken, even as early as last year, just uh right after Senator Sto was installed as Senate President, there were already moves to uh unit Senator then Senator Sto and the name Alan Peter Kayano has always been there.

[00:08:48]So in other words, that's uh that's really part of the equation. But apart apart from that uh you know uh the need to uh was this change the leadership in the Senate is to ensure that the way the impeachment trial uh will be conducted will uh be controlled by the new majority again precisely because uh this is more of a political instrument. What they're really preventing is for this uh evidence evidences. Take note. No. If uh if if we just count the the was this the extent of the uh evidences attached to the impeachment uh articles of impeachment. The articles of impeachment is about 52 pages if I'm not mistaken.

[00:09:31]The house resolution is about 24 pages if I'm not mistaken. But the evidences attached to it is more than a,000 pages.

[00:09:41]So you can just imagine the extent of what will be revealed. No. in the event that the impeachment trial actually happens and all these evidences are publicly shared and disclosed. So I don't how can they prevent that focus public during the trial? Can can the new majority really prevent that if they're constituted as an impeachment court? uh as you've seen and again uh rightly said you're a lawyer you know that uh you know when uh when you don't have the facts no uh and you have the and you have the rules with you you pound the rules no quoting senator Lakon no so uh and if you are going to uh look at uh the strategy that is employed no especially by the vice president the the legal team of the vice president they're not dealing with the substance. They're not dealing with the accusations no uh that are now prepared no for the vice president. They're approaching it via technicality. So in other words, I'm sure that the rules uh would be one of those uh uh was this seen as a very as significant consideration uh in the event that the impeachment trial happens. Professor Ed, do you think that the Senate leadership change also had something to do with the blue ribbon committee report that they were trying to get >> signatures for Senator who was Senate President Proemporary at that time?

[00:11:15]>> Thanks for asking that.

[00:11:18]If there's anything that's you know hands downership investigation they didn't want to sign they they wanted the report no uh to they they wanted they they were blocking the report to uh uh be made public precisely because the findings of the report uh revealed that so many of the members of the new majority are involved but again we've seen how Senator Ping Lon conducted the investigations. So I'm I'm pretty sure the uh was this the uh veteran uh investigator in Senator Lakon has painstakingly uh was this put together no the the uh many uh significant evidence that points to what should have been revealed as the blue ribbon report.

[00:12:32]>> Professor Ed, the new memberships in some of the Senate committees have been announced. There are members of the blue ribbon committee who were implicated in the flood control controversy such as senators Escodero, Mark Villar and Jingo Estrada who is now Jingoi is now the vice chairman of the blue ribbon committee. Do you think they should have declined to be members of the BRC out of Dilica but before we get into this let's first have a short break at the forefront. We'll be right back.

[00:13:17]Heat. Heat.

[00:13:40]The latest headlines before you even step out the door of summons Senate Impeachment Court preparing you for what's ahead fast, clear, and exactly what you need to begin your Metro morning.

[00:13:59]>> Wake up with Metro Morning with Willard Chang. Weekday 700 a.m. on BNC, the Billion Audio News Channel.

[00:14:14]>> Welcome back. At the forefront, we continue our conversation with political analyst Professor Ed Montayo. Professor Ed, the new memberships in some of the Senate committees have been announced.

[00:14:26]There are members of the blue ribbon committee that were also implicated in the flood control controversy. So this includes Senator Chis Escodero, uh Mark Villar and Jingua who is now the vice chair chairman of the blue ribbon committee. Do you think that they should have declined membership in the BRC out of delicatesa?

[00:14:48]you know, in in normal circumstances and probably well-meaning people, you expect that to happen. No, and that's what we call delicadesa.

[00:15:00]feeling so they they have to be there and that's precisely why I've been saying and and they have the tmerity to insist that uh they had to was this move for the change of leadership because they were wanting to pursue uh the flood control controversy blue ribbon committee proceedings report but at the same time they don't want it to be made public. No. So my question is implicated. You're you're still a suspect because for obvious reasons there's no case yet uh that's uh that's uh filed no at least before uh before the leadership change. Why will you uh why won't you even reconsider being asked to be being vice chairman.

[00:16:10]No. And and you even I I even heard Senator Jingo saying if uh that's the price I have to pay for the position for my independence.

[00:16:22]Yeah.

[00:16:22]>> What what principles are you talking about? If you are actually a principled person whether you know yourself you are not guilty of anything in the past blue ribbon hearings.

[00:16:41]>> That's right. That's right. In a social media post, Senator Ping Laxon said the planned filing of plunder and other charges by the office of the ombbudsman against personalities linked to the flood control scandal vindicate the findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which he used to head.

[00:16:58]>> What will happen do you think to that partial committee report now that we have a new chairperson Senator Pia Kayatano? Actually the the part of the whole plan I suppose is to do away with the with the report. If you remember, there was even a minority report that they wanted to uh b they were banding about. No. Uh at at the time that Senator Ping was still the chair of the uh blue ribbon uh committee for obvious reasons because they didn't like the result of the uh investigations that came out of the blue ribbon committee chaired by then by then chairman Senator Ping Lakon. So I'm sure 18 Marines. Is that a bad thing?

[00:17:49]At the time, Senator Ping Lakon as the blue ribbon chairawag.

[00:17:58]I think when he was asked why he wasn't inviting the 18 Marines, So, uh, in other words, again, you're a lawyer and in a in a in a trial in in litigation, what would you what would you make of that kind of uh witness? Because precisely the problem with uh graft and corruption cases in the in the country, no, is that uh obvious for obvious reasons, there's always a third party, there's a bagman. So you you uh rely significantly on on a witness. So if you rely significantly very much if not entirely with the witness, the witness has to be really that credible. No. Fast forward.

[00:18:58]So Senator, blue ribbon committee.

[00:19:10]And if you remember the the NBI tried to look at the veracity, weigh in on the uh testimonies of each of the 18 Marines.

[00:19:22]Again, No, regardless whether a lawyer is present no if uh if they are what asked uh individually.

[00:19:47]>> What about other personalities after that?

[00:19:52]What about other personalities like former budget secretary Amina Pangandaman and uh Adrienne Bersamin, the nephew of former executive secretary Lucas Bamini, Senator Piaano, if I'm not mistaken.

[00:20:18]So >> definitely especially now that uh former DPW secretary Bonoan as has become has been identified as as one of the primary suspects if I'm not mistaken.

[00:20:32]No. So definitely procession senators Jenoy Estrada Bongo Chase Escodero and also Senator Marleta now are facing cases and possible detention.

[00:20:47]Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar are also facing charges now pending in the DOJ and SEC. How will all of this affect the upper chamber of Congress?

[00:20:57]>> Well, uh they will really be u uh was this um uh weakened uh in the sense that uh there will be less of them uh remaining in the Senate.

[00:21:10]uh I cannot uh second guess exactly how uh the remaining senators will be dealing with it but for obvious reasons that's going to be uh is this u a limitation on the on the part of uh the senate but let me also say that uh this is also being used no by the duterte group as uh quotequote martial No. So in other words, it's not like just because the minority wants to what's this uh uh return as the new majority and take the Senate leadership again that all these cases are being fabricated left and right. No.

[00:22:05]No. So it just so happens really that there's something that they have to be made accountable to. So clearly you can very well see no uh why the new majority is gung-ho at keeping themselves in control of the upper chamber.

[00:22:20]>> But in the meantime fuel prices, the peso dollar exchange rate is at an all-time highing bill. even the suspension of the excise taxi.

[00:22:41]Are we just going to sideline all of the pending bills? Are we all distracted with the political circus?

[00:22:50]uh we're all distracted by the political circus and uh not only because uh this is this is really being u used no by the Duterte group but also whether it legislature I remember Senator Lauren reminding if I'm not mistaken the the finance team that this has long been approved and for some reason. So because the government is not doing enough really to so perhaps we can we can ask the the finance uh uh team for that uh matter.

[00:23:54]I mean look at our neighbors. Vietnam has been really uh uh what been identified as one of one of our neighboring countries that have addressed the issue head on government did something. Exactly.

[00:24:18]Um, is the president also getting distracted or I I know there's separation of powers but uh to you know address the issue in the Senate Senate. It's a it's a question whether any uh one of them especially the new majority is really wanting to get back to work.

[00:24:44]Uh, I'm sorry, but uh all the all the all the pretensions, all the massinations only point to uh everything but uh uh was this a well-meaning malicious? But the president can very well get back to uh you know uh managing the fuel price, managing uh uh inflation and so on. And that's issue against them.

[00:25:18]>> A guilty verdict in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte requires 16 votes of physically present senators.

[00:25:28]>> Do you think they will be able to get this number? And if not, does this mean that there's a chance for Vice President Sara to be acquitted? Well, there were talks that uh some of the quote unquote uh senators facing uh charges uh were uh negotiating and bargaining no with uh with the executive to technical or whatever.

[00:26:07]uh but uh clearly uh I don't know but what the little that I know of the president is he's not going to bargain when it comes to these kinds of uh issues. So if he's not going to bargain then there's no uh there's nothing that uh uh we that that can lead us to expect that some of them will change uh uh mind no and decide on the basis of uh of the evidences but that's another matter the senators are supposedly uh which is uh sensitive when it comes to public u uh sentiment. Oh, and on that note, Professor Ed, since we're out of time, last question, former Congressman Neil Tupas, who was then the head prosecutor of uh the impeachment against Chief Justice Corona, said that Congress during that time had the moral ascendancy to pursue an impeachment, but this time he says that that Congress is lacking that moral ascendancy because of the massive corruption exposed during the flood control controversy. Mhm.

[00:27:11]>> Do you agree with that statement and does that affect the public acceptance of this impeachment against Vice President Sara?

[00:27:20]>> I I didn't encounter that statement. No.

[00:27:22]And uh I'm uh I'm not sure where uh the congressman is coming from. But when we uh when we talk about moral ascendancy, whether or not uh there's a flood control controversy or not, the House of Representatives did its uh part and has revealed so much that we need to uh actually understand and uh uh and I'm sure the people the public has been responding uh uh in relation to what they've seen as far as the house is concerned. again whether or not they have the moral ascendancy or not. That's precisely why we need the we need the trial to actually happen. Now again going back to moral ascendancy if the House of Representatives don't have the moral ascendancy how much more is the Senate in this regard. So clearly uh what's uh going to happen now is how the people is going to judge with every thing that's happening now despite the noise that's deliberately being uh uh what done by the the Duterte group.

[00:28:20]>> Thank you so much professor Ed and thank you for all your insights.

[00:28:24]>> Thank you. Thank you.

[00:28:26]>> As the Senate remains divided over its own rules and procedures, Filipinos continue to wait for action on issues that directly affect their daily lives.

[00:28:35]As controversies continue to hound the upper chamber, the bigger challenge now is whether our institution can still rise above politics and deliver accountability, stability, and governance that the public can trust.

[00:28:50]Be informed. Be insightful of the news.

[00:28:52]I'm attorney Karen Himeo. Always stay at the forefront.

[00:29:00]Heat.

[00:29:10]Heat.