Sen. Pia Cayetano took the Senate floor during the session on Monday, May 24. Screengrab from the Senate youtube livestream.
MANILA, Philippines — Miffed at what he claimed was a “walk-out”, Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday aired dissatisfaction over how Senator Pia Cayetano conducted the interpellation on his proposed boxing bill.
On Wednesday last week, Cayetano was supposed to continue interpellating Pacquiao on his bill seeking to create the Philippine Boxing and Combat Sports Commission, but had to step out thereafter, much to boxer-turned-senator’s vexation.
The lady senator however belied that she walked out on from the hearing, saying it was not her character to go “missing in action.”
“I work behind the scenes to get the work done, I mention this because there’s insinuation that I walked out. That I left,” Cayetano said during Monday’s Senate session.
She said she had to postpone her interpellation to work on two bills referred to her by the ways and means committee, which were agreed upon by senators as priority measures.
“I asked permission from the Senate President and then I was in touch with the majority floor leader and my staff was in touch with the office of Sen. Pacquiao,” she pointed out.
Pacquiao said he felt disrespected for having waited for a long time just to be informed that he would no longer be interpellated.
Screengrab of Senator Manny Pacquiao from the Senate youtube livestream
He said Cayetano should have informed him beforehand, adding he was only informed about it when the lady senator already left the building.
“Naghintay ako e, at least kung in-inform ako na ‘pasensya ka na, marami akong gagawin.’ Wala akong problema diyan, madali akong kausap. Pero yung lalayasan ako tapos wala man lang sinasabi sa akin, wala na pala sa building e pangit naman yun. Parang disrespect sa akin ‘yun sa part ko, that’s all,” he said.
“Naghintay din yung staff ko, naghintay ako and then malaman ko, wala na siya (Cayetano),” he added.
Cayetano, for her part, maintained that her staff had informed Pacquiao’s staff about her having to postpone her interpellation.
“I have a lot of empathy, kung alam ko na yan ang special request ng ating kasamahan, then hindi ho ako aalis dito nang hindi nagsasabi sa kanya,” she said.
“But just so you know, I’m not violating any rules by doing that… Never pa ho akong nasabihan ng kahit sinong kasaamahan natin na nag-walk out ako, iniwan ko, nilayasan ko. Hindi ho ganun, ‘di ako nagmi-missing in action. Di ko ho ugali yun. Never,” she added.
Pacquiao appeared to have accepted Cayetano’s explanation, expressing hope that such an incident would not happen again.