Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Alan Peter Cayetano found themselves the latest subjects of a new political viral video following their heated exchange that nearly went physical on Tuesday evening.
The two had a serious argument over a Senate resolution on the 10 EMBO barangays of Taguig City that were previously under the jurisdiction of Makati.
Zubiri raised that the resolution was not in the agenda of the Senate at the time. Cayetano, however, emphasized its urgency.
Cayetano, who was working for the residents of his hometown Taguig, apparently did not appreciate how Zubiri ‘raised his voice’ and undermined its importance for his constituents.
The session was suspended and the heated altercation ensued. Cayetano was heard approaching Zubiri about the rules until he seemingly got fed up with Zubiri’s comments.
“’Pag lugar mo ilang beses ka nakiusap sa akin e. Huwag mo akong sigawan (When it was your turf, you requested my support many times. Don’t yell at me),” Cayetano was heard telling Zubiri.
“Anong gusto mo? Anong gusto mo?… Wala kang pakialam sa mga bumoto doon e. Interes mo lang iniisip mo (What do you want? What do you want?… You don’t care about the voters there. You are only looking after your own interest),” he added.
Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Pia Cayetano—Alan Peter’s sister—and another man separated the two before things could turn uglier. Pia calmed her brother down. Later, when tensions cooled, Cayetano and Zubiri acknowledged their misunderstanding.
“If I raised my voice, it’s because, you know, I was… It didn’t have to go that way and I apologize if I raised my voice,” Zubiri said when the session resumed.
The senator from Bukidnon explained he was just surprised at the addition of the EMBO resolution in the agenda, suggesting if it could be discussed by Wednesday instead.
Cayetano, meanwhile, maintained that he broke no rules as the resolution was added a day prior. “It’s not just an emotional issue, it’s not a local issue. It’s an issue of constitutional importance. The ability for people to vote,” he said.
The lawmaker also mentioned he tried explaining to Zubiri the sense of urgency, saying he did not want to take the risk of delaying it further due to possible inclement weather that might disrupt the scheduled sessions again.
“You’ve seen the rains we’ve had lately. What if another storm comes and we adjourn tomorrow? Does that mean the residents of EMBO cannot run for congressman, no one can vote?” Cayetano said in Tagalog in another video.
