Ejercito backs Angara vs House ‘bullying’: ‘Ngayon playing victim naman’

FILE PHOTO: Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, during a plenary session on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. Ejercito issued on Thursday, February 8, 2024, a “rejoinder to Senator Sonny Angara’s remark” about the House of Representatives’ alleged “bullying” of the Senate. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — A cryptic remark about bullies with victim mentality was aired by Senator JV Ejercito on Thursday afternoon.

“’Yung ikaw na nambubully tapos ngayon, playing the victim card ka naman,” he said in a Viber message to reporters.

(When the one bullying is now playing the victim card.)

The senator did not initially identify who he was referring to, but he later on told INQUIRER.net that his message was a “rejoinder to Senator Sonny Angara’s remark.”

READ: Corruption is PH’s main issue and Cha-cha won’t solve it – Bayan

In a separate forum on Thursday, Angara said he believes their counterparts in the House of Representatives are now “bullying” senators.

Lawmakers from both chambers of Congress have been exchanging heated barbs that stemmed from the controversial signature campaign to support a people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution.

READ: Senate investigates Cha-cha signature drive

Senators believe the “fake people’s initiative” is being stirred by their counterparts in the lower chamber. House lawmakers, in return, adopted a resolution that specifically stresses their support to Speaker Martin Romualdez amid “intense assault from the Senate.”

At present, the Senate is leading talks on economic Charter change in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘s directive for the upper chamber to review the proposals to amend certain provisions of the Constitution as the Chief Executive believes that the people’s initiative has become politicized and too divisive.