Amid emotional exchanges among senators exactly a week after the gunfire incident inside the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday, May 20, proposed referring the matter to a Committee of the Whole, describing the issue as one that directly affects the institution and requires a unified response from the chamber.

Sotto made the proposal after several senators delivered manifestations on the Senate floor regarding the shooting incident that disrupted proceedings and alarmed lawmakers, staff, media workers, and security personnel inside the Senate complex.

“I think this particular issue, once culminated, should be referred to the Committee of the Whole,” Sotto said, noting that the situation involved “Senate institutional security” and affected the chamber as a whole.

He said the extraordinary remedy was necessary because multiple committees may eventually need to examine different aspects of the incident, including public order, justice, ethics, Senate rules, and even finance in relation to the alleged procurement of the weapons used.

“So this is not just majority or minority,” Sotto said. “The Senate has a direct institutional stake, every senator.”

The proposal came after an emotional manifestation from Senator Pia Cayetano, who objected to remarks earlier made by Senator Risa Hontiveros that “parang walang nangyari (it seems like nothing happened)” following the incident.

Cayetano clarified that while some may feel normalcy had returned, those who were physically present during the incident experienced fear and trauma that could not easily be dismissed.

“Para sa amin na nandito, napakaraming nangyari (For us who were here, a lot happened),” Cayetano said, recounting how she feared for her safety and worried about her children while gunfire erupted nearby.

She also recalled the experience of one of her longtime staff members who was outside near the area during the shooting and did not know where to run for safety.

Cayetano emphasized that Senate employees, security personnel, elevator operators, and members of the media were exposed to danger during the chaos.

“Huwag niyong kuwestiyonin yung mga nangyari sa mga nandito (Don't question what happened here),” she said.

“Please respect my own story,” she added.

Responding to the concerns, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano acknowledged Sotto’s suggestion and said the leadership would seriously consider the possibility of convening a Committee of the Whole under Senate rules.

He proposed discussing the matter further during a caucus among senators before making a formal decision on the floor.

At the same time, Cayetano stressed that the Senate leadership was actively dealing with security concerns following the incident, including coordination with different branches of government and measures to ensure the continued safety of the Senate complex.

Several senators also reserved their right to speak on the issue in the next session, including Senators Mark Villar, Camille Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, Robin Padilla, Bong Go, Loren Legarda, and Sherwin Gatchalian.

For her part, Hontiveros later clarified that her earlier statement referred not to the emotions or trauma experienced by those present during the incident, but to what she described as the Senate’s “institutional posture” afterward.

“Our grief as senators is valid, but our mandate requires action,” Hontiveros said.

She also expressed empathy for Cayetano and other Senate personnel affected by the violence, saying she respected the emotions shared on the floor.

If approved, the Committee of the Whole would allow the entire Senate to participate in a consolidated inquiry into the incident, similar to past high-profile investigations conducted by the chamber.