FACT CHECK: Pangilinan not suspended from Senate after clash with Padilla

Claim: Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan was suspended and removed from the Senate after an altercation with Senator Robin Padilla.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube video uploaded on May 13 by the channel “PINAS BALITA TV” is titled “Nakarma na! Sen. Kiko, wala ng takas! Suspendido na? Senado, di nakapagpigil, pinalayas na sa opisina?”

(Karma! Senator Kiko has no escape! Suspended? Senate couldn’t restrain him, forced out of office?)

As of writing, the video has garnered over 24,129 views and 1,600 likes.

The facts: Pangilinan has not been suspended, removed, or expelled from the Senate. He continues to serve as a senator in the 20th Congress, as shown on the Senate website.

The false claim stems from the heated exchange between Pangilinan and Padilla that began on May 12, during discussions about Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s looming arrest on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. 

During the plenary session, Pangilinan raised a point of order, arguing that the issue should be discussed in committee rather than on the floor so that other concerns could be tackled. When Padilla tried to interject, Pangilinan asserted his right to speak, saying: “For the record, Mr. President, I still have the floor!”

Padilla then complained to Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, who was the presiding officer, asking: “May reklamo po ako kay Senator Pangilinan dahil sa pagsigaw. Mayroon po ba sa ating rules na pwedeng sumigaw ang isang senador sa kapwa senador?” 

(I have a complaint against Senator Pangilinan for shouting. Is there anything in our rules that allows a senator to shout at a fellow senator?)

Legarda then suspended the session to de-escalate the tension.

Session suspended: During the break, Pangilinan approached Padilla and offered a handshake, which Padilla refused.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca later said on May 13 that the two senators “almost came to blows” in the hallway, but there was no physical altercation.

Padilla has said he would file an ethics complaint against Pangilinan, telling reporters he would rescind his planned complaint if Pangilinan apologizes to him in the plenary.

In a Facebook post, Pangilinan brushed off the threat, telling Padilla not to be “overly sensitive” and arguing any possible ethics complaint against him lacked legal basis. 

He added that he was ready to file a counter-complaint against Padilla for threats and intimidation. 

“Hindi uubra ang pambubully at pa siga siga sa akin. Mas may basehang kasuhan yang pasiga-siga, pambabastos at at ang kawalan ng proper decorum sa kapwa senador sa Senado,” Pangilinan said.

(Bullying and acting like a tough guy won’t work on me. That kind of tough-guy behavior, the insults, and lack of proper decorum towards fellow senators are stronger grounds for a complaint.)  

The heated exchange happened amid tensions in the Senate following a leadership shakeup, Dela Rosa’s appearance in the upper chamber after a months-long absence, a shooting incident at the Senate, and Dela Rosa’s evasion of the ICC warrant. – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com

Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. 

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