Cayetano, Zubiri caught on video in heated shouting match at Senate

Screengrab from video

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was caught on a video cursing at Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri during a heated debate in the Senate session hall on Tuesday.

The video obtained by INQUIRER.net showed the two in a shouting match, pointing fingers at each other while the session was suspended.

“Don’t give me sh*t din, pare. ‘Pag lugar mo, ilang beses kang nakiusap sa’kin eh (How many times have you asked me),” Cayetano could be heard telling Zubiri.

“’Wag mo akong sigawan. Ilang beses ka ring nakiusap ah, hanggang dun ah. Nag-abroad ka pa eh,” he also said.

(Don’t shout at me. You’ve asked me several times too, so it’s the same. You even went abroad.)

Zubiri could be seen closing in on Cayetano with Senator JV Ejercito trying to stop the two.

“Anong gusto mo? Anong gusto mo? O, put*ng*na, anong gusto mo?” Cayetano went on.

(What do you want? What do you want? Son of a b*tch, what do you want?)

At this point, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Ancan and Cayetano’s sister, Pia, rushed to intervene.

“Put*ng*na. Sindak ka nang sindak dito eh. Bakit, sisigawan mo ko? Anong pakialam mo? Wala ka namang pakialam sa boboto dun eh. Interes mo lang iniisip mo e,” Cayetano said.

(Son of a b*tch. You’re just trying to scare us here. Why are you shouting at me? What’s it to you? You don’t care about the voters there anyway; you’re only thinking about your own interests.)

The root of the conflict was Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 23, which would include 10 Embo barangays in the two legislative districts of Taguig and Pateros so as not to disenfranchise the registered voters there.

The measure would also confirm the increase in the number of councilors “in each councilor district of the City of Taguig” for fair and equitable representation.

In the resolution, Cayetano cited a Supreme Court decision, declaring that the 10 Embo barangays — Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Post Proper Northside, and Post Proper Southside — belong to the territory of the City of Taguig “by legal right and historic title.”

Subsequently, the Commission on Elections has declared that the residents of the 10 Embo barangays can vote for national positions and local positions such as mayor, vice mayor, and members of the city council “but not for a congressional representative in the 2025 midterm elections in the absence of a congressional act designating under which congressional districts the Embo barangays belong.”

But at the session hall, Zubiri questioned why the measure was being tackled on the Senate floor when it was not in the daily agenda.

READ: Cayetano, Zubiri trade barbs over reso on Embo barangays 

“First of all, I don’t know anything about this bill. It just came out of the air. This is a concurrent Senate resolution, this is not a simple resolution,” said Zubiri.

“I know it’s a local issue, and it’s important to you guys, and I don’t want to disenfranchise anyone. Ang akin lang sana, explain sana, sa amin, ano, itong, pag-uusapan natin. ‘Yun lang,” he added.

(What I just want is for you to explain to us what we will discuss. That’s all.)

Zubiri and Cayetano later apologized to each other for raising their voices.

In the end, the Senate adopted Cayetano’s resolution.