A new Senate majority unexpectedly emerged on Wednesday, with 12 senators electing Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president, ending the chaotic three-week leadership of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. The change occurred after the Cayetano bloc’s Sen. Francis Escudero showed up and joined the 11-member minority on the last session day...
Category: News
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7 reasons why the party-list system serves dynasties, not democracy
The House of Representatives has approved on second reading an antidynasty bill that critics say will end up legalizing—rather than penalizing—political dynasties. It was silent on the party-list issue, meaning that political-clan members can continue to be elected to party-list seats, taking their place alongside their relatives serving in Congress and local government posts. PCIJ...
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Sotto: Any Senate leadership change should occur before Congress adjourns next week
Any change in the two-week-old, controversy-plagued Senate presidency of Alan Peter Cayetano should happen in the last three session days next week, before Congress goes into sine die adjournment on June 6. And with Congress out, the Senate leadership becomes even more crucial as the chamber is set to embark on one of its important roles:...
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‘We call for sobriety and unity on the current situation in the BARMM’
This statement was issued by groups and individuals expressing concern over recent developments in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. — Ed. We, leaders and representatives from civil society, academe, labor, and business—sectors that have long supported and contributed to sustaining peace in Mindanao, express deep concern and sadness over the growing tensions and...
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Senate impeachment court convened, VP Duterte summoned to respond
Amid loud rumors of another shakeup in its leadership, the Senate convened on Monday as an impeachment court to try Vice President Sara Duterte. The court immediately ordered that a writ of summons be issued to Duterte to respond to the articles of impeachment against her. She had skipped the entire impeachment proceedings of the House...
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The Senate’s accountability gap in 4 points
The May 11 drama in the Senate was surprising only for its theatrics—a leadership coup in the afternoon, a fugitive senator hiding in the chamber’s inner recesses by early evening, and law enforcers kept at bay by closed doors and barbed wire. The Senate has long been the place where senators charged with serious crimes...
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House impeaches VP Duterte again, votes to send her case to the Senate for trial
For the second time, and now with an overwhelming majority, the House of Representatives voted on Monday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on accusations of misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed. Duterte is the first Filipino official to be impeached twice. The first time was in 2025, with...
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What the experts say: Respiratory health care should be a top concern of adults
The problem lies in the delay in seeking action for medical concerns, according to experts from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines (MISP). Fact of the matter is adults do talk about their health, but nothing much comes out of it. The consistent postponement of seeing a doctor creates a bigger problem. By the time...
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Only 2 more signatures needed for flood control corruption report to reach Senate floor
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson is seeking two more members of the blue ribbon committee that would sign the controversial partial report on the flood control corruption so the chamber can push for reforms to “dismantle” its “very anatomy.” Reporting on the partial committee report on Tuesday on the floor, Lacson acknowledged that only...
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Unanimous vote for articles of impeachment vs VP Duterte
The impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is one step away from being tried in the Senate, with the House justice committee unanimously approving on Monday the committee report finding probable cause to impeach her. It took almost two hours before 55 members of the committee voted unanimously for the amended committee report and...