Insisting on “dividing the house” to force a vote even in the middle of a debate is a not-so-subtle admission that neither the facts nor the rule are on their side, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.
Lacson paraphrased a classic legal principle to illustrate the exchange at the Senate Tuesday evening, when Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano insisted on dividing the house after Lacson questioned the rules and procedure to handle a motion to amend the rules by bypassing the yet to be constituted Committee on Rules to which the said motion was referred earlier by no less than the Senate President himself.
“Apologies to lawyers, I will paraphrase a classic legal aphorism:
‘If the facts are on your side, pound the facts.
If the RULE is on your side, pound the RULE.
If neither the facts nor the RULE are on your side, MOVE TO DIVIDE THE HOUSE.’”” Lacson said on X.
In Filipino: Lacson: Pagpilit na I-‘Divide the House’ sa Gitna ng Debate, Senyales na Wala sa Panig Nila ang Katotohanan o Batas
Apologies to lawyers, I will paraphrase a classic legal aphorism:
“If the facts are on your side, pound the facts.
If the RULE is on your side, pound the RULE.
If neither the facts nor the RULE are on your side, MOVE TO DIVIDE THE HOUSE.”— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) May 27, 2026
At the time, the Senate was taking up the May 11 motion of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta seeking to allow online participation in Senate proceedings.
Lacson objected to the move, saying it violated Section 24 of the Rules of the Senate, where Section 24 – and not Section 136 – should apply. Under Section 24, “the committees shall hold meetings to discuss, decide and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them.” In this case, he said there was no chairman or member of the Committee on Rules where the motion was referred to, due to a leadership change last May 11.
“When your arguments fail, you want to end the debate because you have no rule to stand on. He insisted on dividing the house because he knew he would lose our debate,” Lacson added in English and Filipino in an interview on DZXL radio.
Lacson also noted the “dirty” tactics used by the majority, including prolonging interpellations on a separate measure as if to wait for the minority bloc members to leave early.
He said the minority was also not informed about the plan to tackle the proposed rule amendment allowing remote voting until late in the day.
Lacson said the minority bloc decided to walk out of the session hall, with minority leader Vicente Sotto III remaining to question the quorum and move to adjourn the session for the day.
“When they (majority) play dirty, we (minority) will play it smart,” he said.
*****
Lacson: Pagpilit na I-‘Divide the House’ sa Gitna ng Debate, Senyales na Wala sa Panig Nila ang Katotohanan o Batas
Ang pagpilit sa pag-“divide the house” para magkaroon ng botohan kahit nasa gitna pa ng debate ay isang pag-amin na wala sa panig nila ang katotohanan o ang batas, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules.
Nag-paraphrase si Lacson ng isang legal na prinsipyo para ilarawan ang naging palitan sa Senado noong Martes ng gabi, kung saan iginiit ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano ang pag-“divide the house” matapos kuwestiyunin ni Lacson ang mga procedure sa pagtalakay sa mga patakaran at proseso sa paghawak ng isang mosyon para amyendahan ang Rules of the Senate, sa pamamagitan ng pag-bypass sa noo’y hindi pa na-constitute na Committee on Rules kung saan ito ini-refer ni Cayetano mismo.
“Apologies to lawyers, I will paraphrase a classic legal aphorism:
‘If the facts are on your side, pound the facts.
If the RULE is on your side, pound the RULE.
If neither the facts nor the RULE are on your side, MOVE TO DIVIDE THE HOUSE.'” saad ni Lacson sa X.
Tinatalakay ng Senado noong Martes ng gabi ang mosyon noong Mayo 11 ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta na naglalayong payagan ang online participation sa Senate proceedings.
Tumutol si Lacson sa hakbang at sinabing nilalabag nito ang Section 24 ng Rules of the Senate, kung saan Section 24 — at hindi Section 136 — ang dapat umanong pairalin. Sa ilalim ng Section 24, “the committees shall hold meetings to discuss, decide and submit a report on all matters transmitted to them.” Aniya, wala ring chairman o miyembro ang Committee on Rules kung saan inirefer ang mosyon, dahil sa leadership change noong Mayo 11.
“Pag nagfa-fail ang argument mo, gusto mo tapusin yung debate kasi wala kang laban sa debate kasi wala kang rule to stand on. Kasi alam niya talo siya sa debate kaya sabi niya, kung nag-object, divide natin yung house. Pero nagde-debate pa tayo eh. Bakit papa-divide mo yung house?” ani Lacson sa panayam sa DZXL.
Binanggit din ni Lacson ang tinawag niyang “dirty” tactics ng majority, kabilang ang pagpapahaba ng interpellations sa isang hiwalay na panukala na tila paghihintay na maagang umalis ang mga miyembro ng minority bloc.
Aniya, hindi rin agad ipinaalam sa minority ang planong talakayin ang panukalang rule amendment para sa remote voting.
Sinabi ni Lacson na nagpasya ang minority bloc na mag-walk out mula sa session hall, habang nanatili si Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III upang kuwestiyunin ang quorum at magmosyon na i-adjourn ang sesyon para sa araw na iyon.
“When they (majority) play dirty, we (minority) will play it smart,” aniya.
*****