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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Nag-meeting lang ang tropa?': Adiong is very dismissive of June 4 Blue Ribbon panel hearing

'Nag-meeting lang ang tropa?': Adiong is very dismissive of June 4 Blue Ribbon panel hearing

Published Jun 7, 2026 11:48 pm

At A Glance

  • Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the June 4 Blue Ribbon session was not a legitimate Senate hearing due to missing staff, quorum, and records.
  • He noted the ex-Marines' payoff claims were excluded from the official record.
  • He urged senators to resolve the Cayetano–Gatchalian leadership dispute to restore Senate stability.
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (PPAB)
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (PPAB)


House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong has a very low opinion of the June 4 Senate Blue Ribbon Committee "hearing" that discussed the flood control projects mess.
In a statement Sunday, June 7, Adiong gave what he believed was the best description of the proceedings, which featured the reemergence of the 18 Marine-bagmen and their cash luggage (maleta) payoff claims against administration figures.
“I mean, obviously, kung sa amin lang, talagang hindi siya matatawag na hearing (if it were just us, it really couldn’t be called a hearing). Baka possible pang (Maybe it's possible to call it a) meeting among and between, maybe it could be described as meeting between and among friends," he said.
"But not as an official hearing…walang committee staff, walang record sa Senate (there was no committee staff and no record at the Senate),” noted the Midnanaoan.
He was referring to a handful of senators including Alan Peter Cayetano and Rodante Marcoleta, who obviously worked to put the hearing together. Cayetano is the erstwhile Senate President, although he insists he never lost the position.
Also seen participating in hearing were Senators Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, and Loren Legarda--all backers of Cayetano.
Adiong, one of the spokespersons of the House prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte's upcoming impeachment trial, said the alleged hearing was not called by the new Senate leadership under Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
This explained the lack of staff members and official recording of the proceedings of the Blue Ribbon panel, which by June 4 had already reorganized under Gatchalian.
“Yung mga character na kailangan, kumbaga indispensable for it to be called an official hearing, tulad halimbawa nung mga regular staff, members from both the minority and the majority--‘yung quorum very important —‘yung committee secretary wala doon, even stenographer wala doon,” Adiong said.
(The characters that are needed, so to speak indispensable for it to be called an official hearing, such as the regular staff, members from both the minority and the majority—the quorum is very important—the committee secretary was not there, even the stenographer was not there.)
“Hindi yata siya officially naging part ng official record ng Senate. So even if you try to kumbaga try to consider that on the basis of the requirement in their rules, eh hindi mo talaga masasabi na nagkaroon ng hearing,” he said.
(It seems it did not officially become part of the official record of the Senate. So even if you try to consider that on the basis of the requirement in their rules, you really cannot say that a hearing took place.)
This meant that the statements and restated allegations of the 18 ex-soldiers--who claimed to have delivered millions worth of kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects--weren't part of the official record.
There is currently an impasse between the Cayetano and Gatchalian blocs as to who really calls the shots in the upper chamber. That said, the House of Representatives and Malacañang itself have already given explicit recognition of Gatchalian's authority as Acting Senate President.
Adiong said he hoped that senators could resolve their leadership crisis soon for the stability of the Senate and Congress as a whole.
He lamented that the leadership squabble has degenerated into personal attacks and recriminations among senators.
“I hope maayos talaga, kasi sabi ko hindi lang ang personal na usapan dito…pati na rin ang institution. So tayo naman, we are hoping sana magkaroon ng semblance of stability na ang Senado,” he said.
(I hope things are really settled, because as I said, this is not just about personal discussions…it’s also about the institution. So we are hoping the Senate will finally have a semblance of stability.)

Related Tags

Blue Ribbon Committee Senate Zia Alonto Adiong 18 marines Alan Peter Cayetano Sherwin Gatchalian flood control project
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