MANILA — Drama erupted in the Senate on Tuesday as Sen. Robinhood Padilla declared he will file an ethics complaint against Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan for shouting at him during a heated plenary exchange.
“I will file a complaint,” Padilla told reporters shortly after the confrontation. “I’m really not used to being shouted at. They say it’s normal here, but for me, it’s not.”
The clash broke out while senators were discussing the failed attempt to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa over an International Criminal Court warrant linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. As Padilla argued his point, Pangilinan repeatedly raised a point of order, insisting the matter should be referred to the Committee on Rules. When Padilla tried to continue, Pangilinan interrupted him sharply, declaring, “And for the record, Mr. President, I still have the floor!”
Padilla fired back, telling the chamber he would file a formal complaint. “Is there anything in our rules that says a senator is allowed to shout at a fellow senator?” he asked.
Newly-elected Senate President Loren Legarda was forced to suspend the session to calm the rising tensions. During the break, Pangilinan approached Padilla and offered a handshake, but Padilla refused.
Padilla later said he would only drop the complaint if Pangilinan issues a public apology in the plenary — the same place where he was shouted at.
The fiery exchange has now thrust the Senate into fresh controversy, highlighting deep divisions as senators navigate sensitive issues surrounding the ICC and the war on drugs.
