Jasha Gamao

PASAY CITY—The Senate of the Philippines once again witnessed a dramatic change of events as Senator Alan Peter Cayetano ascended to the Senate Presidency this Monday, May 11, after a decisive 13-9 vote unseated veteran lawmaker Vicente Sotto III. 

The leadership shakeup, supported by a coalition of high-profile allies including Senators Imee Marcos and Robinhood Padilla, effectively shifts the chamber's power dynamic. 

Despite two abstentions from Senators JV Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri, the majority successfully installed Cayetano to lead the upper house, signaling an immediate pivot in the legislative agenda.

The vote was marked by the controversial participation of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who cast his support for Cayetano despite a six-month absence from Senate sessions. 

While Sotto’s bloc—bolstered by stalwarts like Panfilo Lacson and Risa Hontiveros—mounted a firm "No" vote, they were ultimately unable to overcome the 13-member majority. 

The new Senate President urged his colleagues in his acceptance speech, to unite for the Filipino people 

“We want to be free from poverty. We want to be free from corruption. We want to be free from a government that is busy fighting its own people or the people fighting each other. Hindi ito social media na bawat minuto ay nagbabangayan. In real life, we have to be here with each other,” the Senate President said.

This swift transition marks the end of Sotto’s tenure and consolidates Cayetano’s influence over the Senate floor as the new session gains momentum.

Here’s the exact tally of votes in the Senate change of leadership:

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YES VOTES

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano

Senator Pia Cayetano

Senator Rodante Marcoleta

Senator Christopher Lawrence Go

Senator Robinhood Padilla

Senator Loren Legarda

Senator Imee Marcos

Senator Camille Villar

Senator Mark Villar

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa

Senator Joel Villanueva

Senator Jinggoy Estrada

Senator Francis Escudero

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ABSTAIN

Senator JV Ejercito

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri

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NO VOTES

Senator Vicente Sotto III

Senator Panfilo Lacson

Senator Francis Pangilinan

Senator Risa Hontiveros

Senator Bam Aquino

Senator Lito Lapid

Senator Raffy Tulfo

Senator Erwin Tulfo

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian

PASAY CITY—The Senate Committee on Health and Demography hit the Department of Health (DOH) with hard questions on May 11, exposing a massive disconnect between official reports and the actual state of local clinics. 

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros flagged the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) for listing projects as "completed" even when citizens find them shuttered, understaffed, or filled with unused, stockpiled medical equipment. 

Lawmakers demanded to know why billions in taxpayer funds have been poured into facilities that remain non-operational or abandoned.

Senator Hontiveros traced these systemic failures to a toxic mix of weak monitoring, contractor negligence, and political favoritism. 

She warned that the DOH’s procurement process is being undermined by "palakasan" or political interference, which bypasses technical vetting to favor certain regions or contractors. 

“Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang lahat ng ito. Hindi ito dapat maging normal lalo na kung bilyong-bilyong piso ng taong bayan ang pinag-uusapan,”  Senator Hontiveros stated, emphasizing that the public cannot normalize the waste of billions of pesos while patients are turned away from empty health centers.

Compounding the frustration, Senator JV Ejercito stressed that these delays are actively sabotaging the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law. 

As a primary author of the landmark 2019 measure, Ejercito argued that UHC cannot succeed if the government continues to fund "antiquated" or unfinished infrastructure. 

“We want to find out what is causing the delay… These health facilities cannot wait any longer kasi kailangan ng tao ’yan. For us to be proud of the Universal Health Care law, our health facilities have to be at par as well. Hindi na puwede yung dating makaluma,” Senator Ejercito said. 

He called for an immediate investigation into why projects receiving hundreds of millions in funding are still stalling, asserting that Filipinos deserve modern, functional facilities that are "at par" with international standards.

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QUEZON CITY—The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has officially issued a Subpoena to Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, ordering his appearance at Camp Crame this coming Thursday, May 14, 2026. 

Signed by CIDG Director PMGen. Robert Morico II, the directive compels the senator to face the Major Crimes Investigation Unit to provide a sworn statement and surrender relevant documents. 

This legal move marks a significant escalation in the government's renewed scrutiny of high-profile personalities linked to the controversial war on drugs.

The investigation focuses on the alleged Extra-Judicial Killings (EJKs) in the Davao Region, drawing from explosive revelations made during the House of Representatives Quad Committee hearings and public testimonies from retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas. 

Authorities are specifically looking into Dela Rosa's tenure as Davao City Director and Regional Director, seeking to clarify his role in the reported deaths. 

The subpoena warns that failure to comply without a valid justification will lead to charges for Indirect Contempt of Court, signaling the PNP's firm stance on the proceedings.

This development follows a direct order from DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla issued on May 10, mandating the PNP to reopen and investigate approximately 100 cases of EJKs. 

By leveraging Republic Act No. 10973, which grants the PNP leadership the power to issue subpoenas, the CIDG is centralizing its efforts to address long-standing allegations from the Duterte administration. 

As the deadline for his appearance nears, all eyes are on the former police chief turned senator to see how he will respond to the formal demand for transparency.

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Atty. Elaine Atienza, spokesperson for former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, hit back at the Philippine Global News Network (PGMN) following the arrest of its founder, Franco Mabanta. 

Atienza clarified that the case is not an attack on press freedom or government criticism, but a direct response to an alleged extortion attempt. 

She revealed that Romualdez reported the matter to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after money was purportedly demanded in exchange for keeping a "scandalous" video private. 

"Rep. Romualdez simply did what any person would do—he reported the crime to the proper authorities," Atty. Atienza stated, emphasizing that the NBI acted strictly within its legal mandate.

The Romualdez camp further argued that PGMN’s claims of having "exposés" are irrelevant to the criminal investigation. 

“Whatever materials or exposés they claim to possess are irrelevant to the criminal allegations of extortion now under investigation.” Atty. Atienza added.

Atienza challenged the media platform to release any evidence of government wrongdoing to the public or the courts instead of using it as financial leverage. 

“If anyone believes he has evidence of wrongdoing by public officials, the proper course is simple: release it, submit it to the authorities, and let the proper institutions act on it — not use it as leverage in exchange for money.” The attorney argued.

By allegedly holding a video for weeks instead of publishing it, the camp asserts that PGMN crossed the line from news reporting to criminal activity. 

“That is what PGMN did: they purportedly produced a video that was allegedly ready to run several weeks ago and yet chose not to release it. That is NOT journalism, that is extortion.” Atty. Atienza added.

Atienza concluded that while democracy encourages criticism, the law strictly punishes extortion, noting that such conduct only serves to damage the public’s trust in legitimate media institutions.

“Such conduct undermines legitimate journalism and damages public trust in genuine media institutions. Simple lang po ito: Sa demokrasya, malayang pumuna. Pero malinaw po sa ating batas: Isang krimen ang pangingikil. “ Atty. Atienza concluded.

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QUEZON CITY—The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 81 has dismissed a petition filed by Atty. Manases "Mans" Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, which sought to block the House of Representatives from accessing their income tax returns. 

In a five-page order dated May 6, 2026, Presiding Judge Madonna C. Echiverri denied the request for a preliminary injunction and junked the case for lack of jurisdiction. 

In her decision, Judge Echiverri clarified that the Regional Trial Court does not have the authority to restrain a co-equal branch of government like the House of Representatives. 

The court emphasized that the House Committee on Justice was acting within its constitutional mandate to investigate impeachment complaints, and any judicial review regarding "grave abuse of discretion" by such a body must be filed directly with the Supreme Court. 

“In the case at bench, the respondents are acting in the official capacity as part of the HCOJ, a co-equal branch of the government hence, the case at bench should have been filed with the Supreme Court.”

The dismissal comes at a critical time, just days before the House is scheduled to hold a plenary vote on the consolidated Articles of Impeachment on May 11. 

While the House panel previously voted to keep the tax records in a sealed box for the time being, lawmakers noted that this court victory reinforces their authority to handle such documents as public records in constitutional proceedings. 

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