Robin Padilla, Jonvic Remulla jostle as 18 ex-Marines enter Senate

Senator Robin Padilla and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla jostled each other inside the Senate on Thursday.

This happened as a group of 18 men identifying themselves as former Marines entered the premises as resource persons in a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing presided over by Senator Pia Cayetano.

Based on the video, Padilla and Remulla were seen engaging in a tense confrontation.

Padilla was with the group of supposed former Marines and Cayetano.

When Remulla was asked if he intended to block the senators and the 18 supposed ex-Marines, the DILG Secretary told reporters in a message, “I was walking out when I was pushed aside. How can I do that? I was alone.”

But Senator Imee Marcos questioned Remulla’s presence at the Senate, saying “Bakit po narito ang DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla? Maraming nagtatanong kung LGU na lamang ang Senate?”

(Why is DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla here? Many are asking if the Senate is just an LGU?)

The incident occurred as several senators gathered at the Senate despite an earlier announcement by Senate President Pro-tempore Sherwin Gatchalian and Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Senator Erwin Tulfo that no hearing would be held on Thursday.

At a press conference earlier, Gatchalian said he sought help from Remulla to ensure order and protection of the Senate.

The Blue Ribbon under Alan Peter Cayetano, who maintains that he is still Senate President, is chaired by his sister, Pia. — RSJ, GMA News