Senators Pia Cayetano, Raffy Tulfo clash over incomplete Senate committee memberships

Senators Raffy Tulfo and Pia Cayetano exchanged heated remarks on Tuesday over incomplete Senate committee memberships, with Tulfo warning that the vacancies were stalling crucial legislative work.

Raising a point of order near the end of the session, Tulfo criticized what he described as the “inaction” of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano in finalizing the membership of minority senators.

Tulfo said he had been coordinating with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri for weeks regarding assignments to the Committee on Public Services and the Committee on Migrant Workers. Under Senate rules, a committee’s membership must be completed before it can fully conduct business.

Tulfo argued that the ongoing delay was holding up priority measures, including proposed legislation creating a Department of Water, franchise bills, and programs for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) reintegration.

“What disturbs me is that it is the inaction of the minority leader... that holds important LEDAC bills hostage,” Tulfo said.

While thanking minority senators who had confirmed their intention to join his committees, Tulfo appealed directly to the absent minority leader: “To my colleagues in the minority, maraming maraming salamat po for confirming your intent to join my committee. But to the minority leader, my good friend, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, it is time that we cooperate so that we may get back to legislating.”

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian noted that 32 Senate committees had yet to be fully convened and assured the body that he would address the issue with Zubiri and Alan Peter Cayetano.

However, Sen. Pia Cayetano rose to defend her brother and took issue with Tulfo’s framing.

“Actually, I don’t really have to stand anymore because the Senate President already responded in the manner that I believe is becoming of the Senate,” she said, before rejecting Tulfo’s claim of a “hostage” situation.

“Senator Tulfo, madali n’yo naman akong tanungin. Alam n’yo namang kapatid ko si Alan kung may gusto kayong iparating. ‘Wag na ho kayong mag-drama nang may pa-hostage-hostage. ‘Di ho tayo ganito dito,” she added, warning against setting a bad precedent in chamber decorum.

Pia Cayetano noted that her brother was absent but offered to mediate: “’Pag in-ignore niya kayo and the next day, wala pa rin, then sige, sabihin n’yo kung gusto n’yo.”

Tulfo quickly fired back, rejecting the accusation that he was grandstanding.

“Never po ako nag-drama dito. Halughugin n’yo po ‘yung mga post sa social media. Never n’yo akong nakitang nag-drama o ginamit ’to para mag-grandstanding. Sino ang nagda-drama? Tumingin muna kayo sa salamin bago kayo magsalita,” Tulfo retorted.

Zubiri eventually stepped in to calm the floor, stating he would discuss the committee slates with the minority leader, noting that Alan Peter Cayetano “hasn’t been feeling well lately.”