Padilla to file ethics complaint vs Pangilinan

Tensions rose at the Senate on Tuesday as senators continued to discuss the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

During the plenary session, Senator Robinhood Padilla made a manifestation, asking if senators are allowed to shout at their colleagues.

This developed after the senators engaged in a heated exchange while discussing the ICC arrest warrant.

"Gusto ko lang ireklamo si Senator Pangilinan sa pagsigaw. Meron po ba sa rules natin na sinasabi na pwede mong sigawan ang kapwa mo senador?" Padilla said.

(I want to complain about how Senator Pangilinan shouted earlier. Are there rules that senators can shout at their colleagues?)

Pangilinan tried to explain but the Senate suspended the session and later adjourned.

In an interview, Padilla said he would file a complaint against Pangilinan before the Senate Ethics Committee should the latter refused to apologize on the floor.

He also refused a handshake from Pangilinan during the suspension.

“Hindi ko matatanggap ‘yung natural ang sigawan. Not me. Sila kung gusto nila magsigawan sila. Hindi ako kasama dun,” the senator said.

(I cannot accept their reason it was natural for senators to shout at each other. Not me. They can shout as much as they want but exclude me from it.)

“Mag-apologize siya. Kailangan sa plenary niya gawin, kasi sa plenary niya ko sinigawan eh,” he added

(He has to apologize to me on the floor. He shouted at me while in session.)

GMA News Online has reached out to Pangilinan for comment.

During their exchange, Pangilinan said the manifestations on the issuance of the ICC arrest warrant should be referred and discussed at the Senate Committee on Rules to give way for the discussion of other issues.

However, Padilla interjected, leading to Pangilinan to raise his voice and say: “I still have the floor.”

“For the record Mr. President, we voted against Senate Resolution No. 44. So to say that we have this resolution, yes, but there are senators who voted against it. Therefore, it is not necessarily our agreement with the points being raised by the good Senator from Camarines Norte,” Pangilinan said.

On Monday, Dela Rosa appeared at the Senate for the first time in six months amid claims the ICC issued a warrant of arrest against him over his links to the war on illegal drugs of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.

CCTV footage showed the senator dashing towards the Plenary Hall to evade NBI agents who were wearing civilian clothes.

Senators later voted to cite them in contempt and place them under the custody of the Senate.

Following a meeting with the NBI, the agents were placed under NBI custody. — JMA, GMA News