September 26, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Tensions ran high at the Senate late Tuesday night after Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Alan Peter Cayetano traded barbs over a resolution seeking the inclusion of enlisted men’s barrios or Embo barangays in the Taguig and Pateros legislative districts to prevent disenfranchising registered voters in the 2025 elections.
During the night session presided over by Senate President Francis Escudero, Cayetano put forth Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, which includes the 10 Embo barangays in the two legislative districts of Taguig and Pateros.
The resolution was born out of the Supreme Court ruling in 2021 that favored Taguig City in its decades-long dispute with Makati City over the barangays.
Cayetano said the resolution would also confirm the increase to 12 of the number of councilors in each councilor district of Taguig for purposes of fair and equitable representation.
Zubiri, however, manifested that he did not know about the resolution, which he said seemed to have just come about. He requested Escudero to give the senators more time to study the resolution.
“We don’t want to be like other establishments that in the midnight hour, we’re passing measures. No, we’re not like that,” Zubiri quipped.
“We have another session tomorrow. I don’t want to disenfranchise the people of Taguig,” he added.
He also noted that tradition should be followed in passing a concurrent resolution, but Escudero clarified that a concurrent resolution is no different from an ordinary resolution.
“We did give due courtesy to Sen. Nancy Binay even if this involves barangays that are no longer part of Makati but because the chair viewed it used to be part of Makati, we cleared it with her through her chief of staff. Hence, we proceeded,” Escudero said.
Cayetano thanked Escudero for the clarification as he further explained his point about the resolution.
“It’s not an emotional or local issue. It’s an issue of constitutional importance and the ability of the people to vote,” Cayetano said.
As the exchange heated up, the session was suspended and the live feed on YouTube was cut off. Zubiri and Cayetano had a shouting match captured by a mobile phone camera and later uploaded on social media.
“I don’t want to take the risk. You’ve seen the rains lately and what if there’s a storm tomorrow and we adjourn? Then no one from Embo can run for congressman. No one can vote,” Cayetano retorted.
“When it’s about your turf, you made requests to me several times. Don’t shout at me,” he added.
As Zubiri and Cayetano were about to come to blows, Senators JV Ejercito and Pia Cayetano and Senate sergeant-at-arms Robert Ancan intervened.
Cayetano apologized to Zubiri for raising his voice to his “friend.”
Zubiri later clarified that after discussing the matter further, he understood the resolution was not creating a new district but merely expressing Congress’ stance on the issue.
“After further discussion and explanation of Sen. Alan and with cooler heads prevailing, (we) patched things up,” he said.
The Senate eventually adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 23.
Zubiri reiterated at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay media forum yesterday that he had a miscommunication and misunderstanding with Cayetano as he thought the resolution was for the creation of a new district, which would require a new law.
He added that he and Cayetano had “kissed and made up” after the heated argument.
For his part, Cayetano said he had ended on good terms with Zubiri after the two almost got into a fistfight.
He was sought for comment by reporters yesterday but he declined. His office only issued a statement saying he and Zubiri have made amends and agreed to fight for the Embo voters’ right to suffrage.
“The issue here is very basic: it is representation, it is suffrage,” Cayetano said in his manifestation in the plenary.
“With a few weeks left until voting, the people of Embo will be very grateful that we gave them the choice on who to vote for,” he added.
Escudero said there is no need to discipline Zubiri and Cayetano over their heated exchange, noting it is “normal” for lawmakers to become emotional about their advocacies.
“Members of the Senate, like members of Congress, are very passionate about their respective advocacies and it is quite human and natural for them to be emotional with regards to these advocacies,” Escudero told reporters in an ambush interview at Malacañang.
Meanwhile, Zubiri clarified that the supposed coup d’etat against Escudero is a mere rumor.- Jose Rodel Clapano, Helen Flores, Christine Boton, Marc Jayson Cayabyab
