WITH VIDEOS | Remote Vote Sparks Walkout By ‘SB-11’

Members of the 11-member minority bloc stormed out of the Senate plenary hall on Tuesday night, may 26, after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s majority attempted to “railroad” an amendment to the chamber’s rules to allow members to attend sessions remotely – assailed as a way to allow Sen. Ronald dela Rosa and detained senators to participate in proceedings.

Led by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, 10 senators from the so-called Solid Bloc 11 or SB-11 left the plenary hall in the middle of debates on the proposed rule amendment.

Raising his voice against colleagues, Sen. Erwin Tulfo questioned the motive and method of the majority to approve the motion.

“Why are we in such a hurry, why are they the majority in a hurry to tackle this motion and divide the house? We need answers. Or is it because they’re in a hurry because of news reports that probably two of our colleagues might land in jail this weekend? Is that why?” Tulfo said, referencing Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, whom the ombudsman said could be facing plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan soon.

Gasps and groans erupted when Tulfo said this, forcing Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to stand from his seat smiling uncomfortably as he walked towards the desk of Sen. Bong Go, where he was met and comforted by majority colleague Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who rubbed his back.

Afterwards, Zubiri started rounding up his colleagues from the minority, yelling “let’s go! let’s go! We will not participate in this debate anymore!”

This was when Senators Bam Aquino, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Sherwin Gatchalian, Panfilo Lacson, JV Ejercito and Erwin Tulfo walked out of the plenary.

Senators Raffy Tulfo and Lito Lapid were no longer in the session hall at the time of the walkout, but Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III stayed to argue that the plenary no longer has a quorum and should therefore be adjourned.

After a few minutes of debates with Sens. Rodante Marcoleta and Alan Peter Cayetano, Legarda, who was presiding, adjourned the session.

The walkout was preceded by lengthy debates regarding the amendment to Senate Rules that seeks to allow senators to attend sessions remotely – a motion introduced on May 11 – the day Dela Rosa apprared at the Senate for a leadership coup.

There were no debates at the time as there were no members of the minority during the plenary session when the motion was introduced by Marcoleta on the floor. Minority members were not in the plenary following the coup on Sotto.

However, members of the minority like Lacson and Hontiveros said they would question the motion if it is returned to the plenary for debates.

‘Focus on trial’

Senators should stop their dilly-dallying on pursuing the trial of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, Rep. Jude Acidre (Tingog party-list) said on Tuesday.

“Our challenge to the Senate, and with all due respect to our friends in the Senate, is for them to focus their attention on the facts, on what will happen to the impeachment trial because that is what they should be resolving right now,” Acidre, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education, said.

“So, whatever leadership crisis they may have, or whatever political crisis they have there, we can all put that in the right context once the basis of evidence has been laid out. They should not be sowing fears to Filipinos about conspiracy theories and what not,” he stressed.

“We’re quite frustrated, we’re quite disturbed in the Senate itself, it has become fashionable to accuse before you present proof,” he said, apparently referring to Sen. Imee Marcos’ virulent privilege speech wherein she accused colleagues in the minority – without presenting evidence – of trying to revive Charter change.

After being called out by minority senators for mouthing disinformation, Marcos agreed to strike out a video that accompanied her privilege speech.

Acidre stressed that accusations made in the legislative chamber should be based on evidence, not insinuation. “And part of that is to be truthful. Part of that is to make sure that when you make accusations, they’re grounded on evidence,” Acidre emphasized.

“Our politics, our personal preferences, even our own personal stance… are all subservient to the institution that we represent. That is perhaps the best reminder to us. We don’t own Congress. We’re just stewards of whatever power or responsibility there is,” he added.

The House leader said accountability applies to all lawmakers when the bounds of proper parliamentary conduct are crossed. “I think whether it’s Senator Imee or it’s Congressman Kiko Barzaga, I think all of us have to be accountable,” he pointed out.

Both senators and House members, Acidre maintained, should use the proper channels when they believe a boundary has been crossed. “It behooves every individual member of Congress to make sure that when you stand there, the privilege comes with certain responsibility,” he said.

“For us, especially the younger ones, when we live in a world of social media that people are very responsive, you’re more aware that there are lines you do not cross because there is a higher institution that you must uphold,” he explained. – With Delon Porcalla