Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday dismissed the allegations made by the Senate minority that the Majority bloc’s proposed amendment to the Senate rules on remote participation is connected to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
He stressed that there is no proposal to amend the impeachment rules, noting that these have been adopted by the Senate when it formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18.
“Wala pong katotohanan na y’ung amendment ng rule na ito ay nakaugnay sa amendment sa rule sa impeachment. Bakit po? Unang-una, in-adopt na po namin y’ung rules sa impeachment. Kapag binago namin iyon, ipa-publish pa at tatagal pa iyon,” Cayetano said in a Facebook Live on May 30, 2026.
“Ang pinag-uusapan ay rule sa Senado. Wala pong katotohanan y’ung mga nagpo-post na nagsasabing ito po ay may kinalaman sa impeachment,” he added.
He maintained that the two issues were unrelated, citing the difference of the tense May 26 plenary session, during which several Minority senators opposed a proposal to amend Senate rules to allow remote participation in sessions.
The proposal, introduced by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, prompted debate over whether it could be taken up on the Senate floor. Cayetano moved to divide the house and resolve the procedural question through a vote. The session later ended in a walkout by members of the Minority bloc, after which Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III moved for adjournment.
According to Cayetano, the Senate was only considering the preliminary procedural issue of whether the proposed amendment could be discussed, not the substance of Marcoleta’s proposal itself.
“Let’s clarify some things sa rules mismo ng Senate. Nakalagay doon, simple: The Majority can amend. Again, i-emphasize ko ha kasi binabaliktad nang binabaliktad ng ating kaibigan na si Senator (Panfilo) Lacson. Sabi niya, OK lang pag-usapan ang rules, huwag lang i-railroad. Wala pong railroading. Ang sinasabi po kasi niya, nasa Committee yung rules,” he explained.
“Ang plenary po ay mas powerful sa committees… So we were not violating any rule. And in fact, May 11 pa nag-start iyan (i-take up)… (Ang totoo niyan) Ilan lang kasi sila nandoon during that Tuesday night (kaya ayaw pag-botohan). But the point is, we were ready to defend and talk about the proposal,” he added.
Cayetano said the issue ultimately boils down to the Minority’s concerns over maintaining control within the Senate.
“Representation is very important because it’s all about control… I want you to understand that the rule about voting is tied to control. Thirteen ang kailangan para palitan ang Senate President, pero ang magpapatawag ng hearings ay ang chairperson,” he said.
“So meaning, kung maibabalik sa kanila (ang leadership), ise-schedule ba nila yung flood control hearing? Kontrolado din po ng Majority at ng chairman kung sino ang iimbitahin,” he said, stressing the need for impartiality in the high-profile Blue Ribbon hearings on flood control scam which resumes on Thursday, June 4.