DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 May 2026) — Senators from the Minority bloc walked out of the plenary session on Tuesday night, condemning what they said was “an attempt to rush a major change in the Senate Rules” that would allow Senators to vote online, even as several members of the minority “still wanted to speak and raise serious questions on the floor.”
Senator Rodante Marcoleta had proposal to amend the Senate Rules to allow Senators to vote through electronic platforms.
“Bakit kailangang madaliin? Bakit kailangang pigilan ang mga gustong magsalita? Bakit kailangang i-divide ang house kung marami pang senador ang nagtatanong tungkol sa proseso?” (Why rush? Why stop those who want to speak? Why divide the House when there were still many senators asking about the process?), a ‘Joint Statement on the Senate Minority Walkout,’ released by the Office of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri late Tuesday night, asked.
“Minamadali ba ang rule change na ito dahil gusto nilang makaboto si Senator Bato? At ngayong may mga ulat na may mga majority senators na maaaring arestuhin?” (Are they rushing this rule change to allow Senator Bato to vote? And now that there are majority senators who will likely be arrested?), the Joint Statement asked.
Dela Rosa has a pending warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court as a co-perpetrator in the alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. He has been declared by the Philippines’ Deparmtent of Justice as a “fugitive from justice.”
According to the Senate Rules, Senators must be physically present in the Senate session hall to participate and vote. Teleconference or video conference, or other appropriate information and communications technology systems can be allowed only due to force majeure and national emergency. Online participation and voting was done during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 11, Marcoleta proposed an amendment to the Rules by allowing 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.
ABS-CBN News reported that the Senate Majority revived the discussion on Tuesday, hours after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla bared plans to charge Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva in connection with the flood control scandal, a move that could prevent them from attending sessions.
“We walked out because what happened on the floor looked less like orderly deliberation. The proposed rule change affects how senators may attend sessions, participate in proceedings and exercise their mandate through remote means, and such a measure should be opened to healthy public debate instead of being rushed by the tyranny of the majority,” the Statement added.
A photograph attached to the Joint Statement shows that aside from Zubiri, the other senators who walked out are Zubiri, Bam Aquino, JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Ping Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Tito Sotto, Erwin Tulfo and Raffy Tulfo,
The Senate Minority members said they have always welcomed healthy discussions on the floor “but this should mean allowing all members to be heard, not forcing the chamber to move at the speed preferred by the majority.”
The Joint Statement also pointed out that at the time the motion was taken up,
there was no duly constituted Committee on Rules and there was not even an elected Majority Leader who could properly guide a rules amendment through the regular process.”
“With due respect, the answer that no Senate rule had been violated does not settle the matter, because the rules cannot be treated as a matter of convenience when the very process for amending them is under serious question,” the Statement added.
It said the timing raises a question that the public deserves to hear and be debated openly. “Kaya pinili naming tumayo at iwan ang majority sa plenary. Kaya kami nagdesisyon (That’s why we walked out and left the Majority in the plenary. That is why we decided to question the quorum and call for adjournment,” the Statement added.
After the walkout, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said the majority would not object to the motion to adjourn but said it should be put on record that Senate minority members “scampered” out of the session hall. (MindaNews)
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