The new majority in the Senate solidified its grip on Wednesday after forming a 13-member bloc that elected Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president. The vote was unanimous for Gatchalian, who on June 3 was elected Senate president pro tempore by the then 12-member bloc. This time he was voted president of the chamber during the...
Tag: 20th Congress
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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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In numbers: Dynasties and contractors capture party-list seats in the 20th Congress
Nearly 40 years ago, the framers of the post-Marcos Constitution provided for a party-list system to ensure that Congress would not be dominated by political families. Today, the hope that party-list representatives would provide a counterweight to the power of dynasties has been completely dashed. In the 20th Congress, half of the 64 party-list representatives...
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‘Jurassic’ Senate prez recounts how the coup attempt went down
Was the leadership of Senate President Vicente Sotto III truly in peril last Feb. 4, when rumors swirled that the 9-member minority had gathered more than the so-called “Magic 13” votes to unseat him? As the 3 p.m. session of the Senate began that Wednesday, Sotto presided over the calendar of business which included honoring the achievements...
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Impeach case filed vs Marcos over Duterte surrender to ICC, alleged drug addiction and corruption
An impeachment complaint has been filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for alleged graft and corruption, violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust. The complaint was filed on Monday by lawyer Andre de Jesus and was endorsed by Pusong Pinoy Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay, a party-list lawmaker who owns JVN Construction and Trading...
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Senate ‘kills’ Duterte impeachment case; law expert says accountability mechanisms weakened
The Senate voted on Wednesday night to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, “killing” it before it could reach trial and weakening accountability mechanisms for public officials, a law expert warned. Voting 19-4 with one abstention, the Senate agreed on the amended motion of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta to archive the articles of...
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Bill seeks total ban on online gambling ads
A lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to ban the promotion of online gambling in the country as public concern grows about the dangers that it poses to Filipinos. Camarines Sur 3rd district Rep. Nelson Legacion has filed House Bill No. 2360, which aims to ban all advertisements and sponsorships promoting online gambling platforms across...
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Five things to watch out for in the 20th Congress
1. Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial: Will it finally happen? The next round of the Marcos-Duterte family feud was expected to play out in Congress. But the Dutertes scored a win—and the possibility of a reprieve until February 2026, or even longer—in Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that temporarily banned an impeachment trial. The Marcos-controlled House...
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Sotto says he and Lacson will ensure no repeat of national budget ‘mangled in the Senate’
Whether they end up in the majority or minority bloc, Sen. Vicente Sotto III said, he and Sen. Panfilo Lacson will make sure that there will be no repeat of a “national budget” that was “mangled” last year in the Senate. The two lawmakers said they had been looking into irregularities in the ₱6.326-trillion national budget...