Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed on Thursday that he and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano have reconciled following a heated exchange that nearly escalated into a physical altercation at the Senate session hall earlier this week.
“Moving on and moving forward, nagbati naman po kaming dalawa (the two of us have reconciled),” Zubiri shared during the Kapihan sa Senado forum, emphasizing that the incident was due to a “miscommunication that led to a misunderstanding.” The misunderstanding arose over the order of business during the session.
Zubiri explained that the disagreement stemmed from the Senate’s tradition of having an agenda for the day, which usually requires consensus if additional items are to be discussed. “Kung wala sa agenda of the day, you have to seek consensus from everyone before you actually take it up. Hindi naman natin sinasabing pinag babawal natin ‘yan,” he clarified.
To prevent similar misunderstandings, Zubiri called for more frequent consultations and caucuses with Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. “Sabi ko sa kanya, maybe we can have more consultations about this. At least let us know when these bills arise so that we have an idea,” he said, adding that he would have fully supported the issue had he known the details.
The dispute began during a discussion on the adoption of a concurrent resolution concerning the inclusion of 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBO) barangays in Taguig City’s two legislative districts and the Municipality of Pateros, as well as the increase in the number of councilors in each district.
Zubiri pointed out that the creation of legislative districts is typically done through formal legislation, noting that he had heard of a “temporary moratorium” on the filing of new districts in the House of Representatives. He said, “If you’ve noticed, wala tayong napapasa na bills on redistricting or new districts. Wala. Not a single one. Since… this 19th congress.”
He further added, “I think Speaker Martin Romualdez has put a temporary moratorium on tackling this… I hope that in the 20th Congress, they’ll open it up.”
Zubiri and Escudero plan to discuss the matter further, focusing on improving communication and camaraderie among senators moving forward.
