SEN. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri yesterday said he and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano have patched up and settled their differences after a video of their near fistfight at the Senate session hall on Tuesday night went viral in social media platforms.
In a Viber message, Zubiri said: “Nabigla lang ako sa bilis ng planned approval (of a Senate concurrent resolution) but after further discussion and explanation ni Sen. Alan, and with cooler heads prevailing, we patched things up (I was just caught by surprise by the planned speedy approval [of a Senate concurrent resolution], but after further discussion and the explanation of Sen. Alan, and with cooler heads prevailing, we patched things up).”
“Pumayag na ako with the explanation that it’s not a creation of a new district and it’s only the sense of Congress (I later agreed after the explanation that it’s not the creation of a new [congressional] district and it’s only the sense of Congress),” he also said.
Cayetano did not issue a statement yesterday.
Zubiri and Cayetano engaged in a heated argument during a break in Tuesday’s session. The argument involved the adoption of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23, which calls on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to include the 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrio (EMBO) barangays to the two existing districts of the city of Taguig and the municipality of Pateros so their registered voters can elect a representative in Congress during the May 2025 elections.
The Comelec has previously declared that the residents of the 10 EMBO barangays can vote for national positions and local positions such as mayor, vice mayor, and members of the city council but not for a congressional representative in the 2025 midterm elections in the absence of a congressional act designating under which congressional districts the EMBO barangays belong.
To address the issue, Cayetano filed Concurrent Resolution No. 23. A concurrent resolution only requires the approval of both houses of Congress and does not need the President’s signature to take effect.
Its counterpart measure, House Concurrent Resolution No. 37, was filed by Taguig-Pateros Rep. Ricardo Cruz Jr. It has comparable provisions in the Senate version.
Zubiri, during last Tuesday’s session, questioned why the chamber was tackling the resolution when it was not part of its agenda for the day.
He said that while he understood Cayetano’s concern that the registered voters of the 10 EMBO barangays could be disenfranchised, discussions on and approval of the resolution should have been scheduled first.
“It just came out in the air. This is not a simple resolution. Ang akin lang, sana explain sana sa amin ano itong pag-uusapan natin. I asked a colleague who represented these 10 EMBO barangays. She doesn’t also know what’s going on. Due courtesy lang ba. Show some respect (It just came out in the air. This is a not a simple resolution. It should have been explained [to us] what we are going to discuss. I asked a colleague who represented these 10 EMBOs and she doesn’t also know what’s going on. There should be due courtesy. They should show some respect),” Zubiri said.
Cayetano replied that there is an urgent need for the concurrent resolution to be adopted due to uncertainties, like bad weather, which may force the Senate not to have a session yesterday, the last day of the session before both houses of Congress go on a break starting Friday, September 27. Regular sessions will resume on November 4.
He noted that the filing of candidacies for the May 2025 elections will already start on October 1.
“Nakita niyo naman ‘yung mga ulan ngayon. Eh kung bumagyo bukas at mag-adjourn tayo? So, walang taga-EMBO na puwedeng tumakbong congressman, walang puedeng bumoto
(We have seen how it has been raining the past days. What if there is a typhoon tomorrow and we will go on adjournment? So, no one from EMBO can run as congressman, and they cannot vote for their representative in Congress),” Cayetano said.
In a media forum yesterday, Zubiri said that what happened between him and Cayetano was just a “misunderstanding.”
“Para sa akin lang kasi, they were passing something na hindi namin alam, wala sa agenda. I understood that it meant a lot to him kasi Taguig. Pero alam mo naman ako, I’m a stickler to rules
(It was just that they are passing something that we do not know because it was not in the agenda. I understood that it meant a lot to him because is concerns Taguig. But I’m a stickler to rules),” he said.
“So, under rules and traditions, it should be in the agenda for the week,” he said, adding that they were in middle of discussing important measures when the concurrent resolution came out.
“And I felt — what are we going to pass? Because I saw it concerns districts. So, I was under the misimpression that it was a creation of a district through a concurrent resolution, which hindi po puede yan (that cannot be). Creation of a district is by law,” he said.
He said he was enlightened when Senate President Francis Escudero explained that the concurrent resolution was a mere sense of the Senate and of Congress “with no weight of law” so as not to disenfranchise the people of the 10 EMBO barangays.
He said the misunderstanding should not have happened if a caucus was called to discuss the chamber’s priorities.
“Well, we haven’t had a caucus with the new SP. So, ‘yun ang medyo we’re in limbo at the moment when it comes to things like this. Kaya I guess nag-flare up ako kahapon kasi hind inga po nagkakaroon ng consultation (Well, we haven’t had a caucus with the new SP [Senate President]. So, we are somewhat in limbo at the moment when it comes to things like this. I guess that’s why I flared up because we are not having consultations),” he said.
In the viral video, Cayetano was seen explaining to Zubiri that he is appealing for consideration for the adoption of the concurrent resolution.
The exchange of views turned awry as the two were seen raising their voices and approaching each other, seemingly ready to settle the argument in a more aggressive manner.
Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Pia Cayetano, and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Angcan pacified the two senators
Escudero said it is normal that some members of the Senate engage in heated arguments due to their passion and advocacies.
“The members of the Senate are passionate about their advocacies and in the course of our proceedings, it is natural that discussion and discourse sometimes become heated. We are only human,” Escudero said.
“Whatever our difference, however, we share a common goal to serve our constituents and do right by them to the best of our ability. Senators Cayetano and Zubiri recognize this, which is why this matter was immediately resolved,” he said.
He said the two “longtime” public servants have amicably settled their differences and “have put this episode behind them.”
Cayetano filed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23 last Monday, which called for registered voters of the 10 EMBO barangays to exercise their voting rights and representation in Congress as part of a legislative district.
“All residents of Taguig have the right to equal representation and those qualified have the fundamental right to exercise their right to suffrage,” Cayetano said in the proposed measure.
The resolution aims to address the issue faced by the EMBO barangays, which collectively comprise an additional 336,873 residents in the city of Taguig, of not being included in the current legislative districts of the Taguig and Pateros.
The situation has raised uncertainties about the EMBO residents’ voting rights and representation. Concerns have also emerged regarding their ability to vote for a congressional representative and if they will be categorized under the Taguig-Pateros First District or Taguig’s Second District.
Under the proposed concurrent resolution, the Taguig’s first district will encompass Comembo, Pembo, and Rizal; while the second district will include Cembo, South Cembo, East Rembo, West Rembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, and Post Proper Southside.
The resolution is in support of Taguig City Ordinance No. 144, which aims to include and distribute the 10 EMBO barangays in its existing two legislative districts and increase the number of councilors per district from eight to twelve.
