Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday, January 9 disclosed that he had tried to contact Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa but the latter has not been replying to his text messages. Dela Rosa, who has been absent in the Senate since November 2025 when Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed...
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III rejected on Friday, January 9 allegations that there’s soft pork barrel in the 2026 national budget saying such statements are “unfair and baseless.” Sotto aired his sentiment when asked about Sen. Imee Marcos’ insistence that there is an...
Senator Imee Marcos said on Tuesday, Jan. 26, that calling the 2026 national budget the cleanest is prone to challenge and that, in her view, it is “certainly the sneakiest.” In a television interview on ANC, Marcos explained why she refused to sign the budget measure, describing it as a...
Senators on Monday, Jan. 5, welcomed President Marcos ' move to veto almost P92.5 billion in the 2026 national budget under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA). Marcos signed the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in Malacañan on Monday. In a Viber message, Senate...
The Senate on Monday, Dec. 22, moved to amend its legislative calendar to give more time for the preparation, printing, and ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for fiscal year 2026. During the plenary session,...
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, on Friday, Dec. 19, urged caution in handling any "list" supposedly left behind by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral. Sotto said this in an interview following the reported death of Cabral after...
With the annual Congress holiday break just around the corner, it seems that several individuals who were cited in contempt during previous hearings could remain in detention at the Senate during Christmas and the New Year--perhaps even longer. This was according to Senate President Vicente "Tito"...
The Senate on Tuesday, December 9 said it will be extending its sessions until December 23 for the passage of the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026. It was Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri who announced the adjustment in the Upper Chamber’s legislative calendar, saying...
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the Senate is keen on passing the proposed Independent People’s Commission (IPC) by January next year. Sotto, in an interview on Tuesday, December 9, said they hope to finish deliberations on the bill before the Christmas break. The Senate...
The Senate approved on Thursday, December 4 the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 on second reading. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri moved to close the period of amendments for House Bill No. 4058 under Committee Report No. 18. Senate President Pro Tempore...
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on Thursday, Dec. 4, that the Senate is working to resolve the remaining issues with proposed amendments to the 2026 national budget, to keep the timetable on track. In a chance interview, Sotto responded to questions on whether disagreements have...
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the appropriate remedy for the public to question the prolonged absences of senators is to file an ethics complaint, noting that there is no “no work, no pay” rule for legislators under existing Senate rules or the Constitution. Sotto made the...
