Marcoleta, Hontiveros clash; remark vs WPS advocates stricken off record

MANILA, Philippines — Sens. Rodante Marcoleta and Risa Hontiveros clashed on Wednesday over a word uttered against outspoken government officials and maritime experts speaking on West Philippine Sea matters.

Marcoleta, who noted that the resource speakers he invited for a supposed March 12 hearing begged off over national security concerns, used the confirmation hearing of the Commission on Appointments (CA) for the ad interim appointment of 70 general and senior military officers as a platform to air his dismay over the move.

Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea; retired senior associate justice Antonio Carpio; and University of the Philippines (UP) maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal were the subject of Marcoleta’s tirades.

“I made a resolution calling for Namria (National Mapping and Resource Information Authority) to be summoned, along with everyone involved in drawing the map of the West Philippine Sea … I don’t know if it’s true, but supposedly someone wrote from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of National Defense saying the matter should not be discussed because it supposedly involves national security. Commodore Tarriela, retired Justice Carpio, and Batongbacal, who is a professor from UP, kept on doing baseless chatter (satsat nang satsat) in the media,” Marcoleta said, before he was interrupted by Hontiveros. 

READ: Lacson, Marcoleta trade barbs on floor over WPS, Discaya

CA panel on national defense chairperson, Agusan del Norte 1st District Rep. Jose S. Aquino II, ordered the hearing’s temporary suspension on account of Hontiveros’ move to interject. 

“My only interjection earlier was that, we should not say that the statements of Commodore Tarriela, retired Senior Associate Justice Carpio, and the other person mentioned earlier are merely ‘satsat,’ because what they are saying are serious utterances,” Hontiveros said.

Marcoleta doubled down on this remark, saying in response: “You know why I used the word ‘satsat’? It doesn’t necessarily have a bad implication. I used that word because when they speak, what they say has no basis.”

The senator was referring to as “baseless” were Carpio’s remarks that there is no need to formally announce the coordinates of the country’s exclusive economic zone, Tarriela’s remark that there are no “disputes” on West Philippine Sea, and Batongbacal’s remarks on submission of maps to the United Nations. 

Nevertheless, Hontiveros had the motion to have Marcoleta’s “satsat” remark be stricken off the record. 

Marcoleta objected at first, but later said he is fine with striking the word “satsat” off the record in favor of another appropriate word.

Panel member LPGMA party-list Rep. Allan Ty suggested: “May I suggest the word ‘pahayag’ (statement) or ‘salita’ (word) or ‘pagpapaliwanag’ (explanation) if the Honorable Senator Marcoleta is acceptable to those proposed or suggested words?”

Hontiveros accepted Ty’s suggestion, and Marcoleta also acquiesced with this, saying: “Because Congressman Allan Ty is my best friend, I am allowing it, why not?” 

The panel adopted the motion of Hontiveros. /mr