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...
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...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday outlined the Senate’s revised timetable for the passage of the proposed 2026 national budget, saying the chamber is still aiming to have the measure signed into law by December 29 despite disruptions caused by a weekend fire. In an interview on Monday,...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, Dec. 1, said the Senate does not observe a “no work, no pay” policy for its members, noting that the Upper Chamber’s existing practice only requires senators to formally notify the body when they are unable to attend sessions or budget hearings. Asked...
A party-list lawmaker on Friday, November 28 urged the Senate to review the provisions of a measure seeking the transfer of the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes pointed to...
There 's still no sign of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa even as the interpellation of the 2026 budget nears its end. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday, Nov. 26, that Dela Rosa 's staff reached out to him to say that he will not arrive to sponsor the budget of the Department...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta on Tuesday, Nov. 25, disputed the claim of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that its personnel underwent proper training in Israel in 2023 for the use of two major components of the agency’s ICT Modernization Project, the GSM Active and Passive Monitoring...
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri called on the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to employ a public “shame campaign” against local governments and national agencies accused of rampant red tape. Zubiri made the appeal as Senate finance chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian defended the...
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Office of the Ombudsman should intensify their crackdown on bureaucratic red tape, most especially in local government units (LGUs) where delays usually begin. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, made the call during the...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta pressed anew Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding statements suggesting that it was acceptable to “bend the law” so long as it was not broken. During the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, Nov....
