Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano reiterated that the majority bloc’s proposed amendment to the Senate rules on remote participation is connected to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, contrary to the allegations of the minority bloc.

Cayetano explained that there is no proposal to amend the impeachment rules, noting that these have been adopted by the Senate when it formally convened as an impeachment court on May 18.

“There is no truth that this rule amendment is linked to the impeachment rule amendment. Why? First of all, we have already adopted the impeachment rules. If we change them, they will be published and it will take longer,” Cayetano said in Filipino and English in a Facebook Live on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

“What we are talking about is a Senate rule. There is no truth in those posting that say this has anything to do with impeachment,” he added, referring to the motion raised by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.

Cayetano maintained that the two issues were unrelated, citing the difference of the tense May 26 plenary session, during which several minority senators opposed a proposal to amend Senate rules to allow remote participation in sessions.

Marcoleta’s proposal had triggered a heated and tensed debate between the majority and minority bloc over whether it could be taken up on the Senate floor. Cayetano moved to divide the house and resolve the procedural question through a vote.

The session ended with members of the minority bloc walking out of the session hall, after which Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III moved for adjournment.

Cayetano said the Senate was only considering the preliminary procedural issue of whether the proposed amendment could be discussed, not the substance of Marcoleta’s proposal itself.

“Let's clarify some things sa rules mismo ng Senate. Nakalagay doon, simple: The Majority can amend. Again, i-emphasize ko ha kasi binabaliktad nang binabaliktad ng ating kaibigan na si Senator (Panfilo) Lacson. Sabi niya, OK lang pag-usapan ang rules, huwag lang i-railroad. Wala pong railroading. Ang sinasabi po kasi niya, nasa Committee yung rules,” he explained (Let's clarify some things in the Senate rules itself. It's written there, simple: The Majority can amend. Again, I emphasize this because our friend Senator (Panfilo) Lacson keeps turning the rules upside down. He said, it's OK to discuss the rules, just don't railroad them. There's no railroading. What he's saying is, the rules are in the Committee,” he explained.

“Ang plenary po ay mas powerful sa committees… So we were not violating any rule. And in fact, May 11 pa nag-start iyan (i-take up)... (Ang totoo niyan) Ilan lang kasi sila nandoon during that Tuesday night (kaya ayaw pag-botohan) (The plenary is more powerful than the committees… So we were not violating any rule. And in fact, there were 11 people who started it (to take it up)… (That's true) There were only a few of them there during that Tuesday night (that's why they didn't want to vote). But the point is, we were ready to defend and talk about the proposal,” he added.

Cayetano said the issue ultimately boils down to the minority’s concerns over maintaining control within the Senate.

“Representation is very important because it's all about control… I want you to understand that the rule about voting is tied to control. Thirteen (13) ang kailangan para palitan ang Senate President, pero ang magpapatawag ng hearings ay ang chairperson (is needed to replace the Senate President, but the chairperson is the one who will call the hearings),” he said.” he said.

“So meaning, kung maibabalik sa kanila (ang leadership), ise-schedule ba nila yung flood control hearing? Kontrolado din po ng Majority at ng chairman kung sino ang iimbitahin (If they (the leadership) is returned to them, will they schedule the flood control hearing? The majority and the chairman also control who is invited),” he argued.

Cayetano earlier said the Senate hearings on the flood control scam will resume on Thursday, June 4, but this will be handled by the Blue Ribbon subcommittee to be headed by Marcoleta.

Marcoleta previously headed the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee when Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero was the Senate president. It was later headed by Lacson when Sotto became the Senate President.