Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan advised Sen. Robin Padilla not to be “balat sibuyas” or overly sensitive following a heated exchange during a Senate session.
Pangilinan made the statement after Padilla complained that he was allegedly shouted at during plenary proceedings. The confrontation happened while Pangilinan was speaking on the Senate floor.
According to Pangilinan, Padilla spoke while he still had the floor, prompting him to respond, “I still have the floor!”
Padilla did not take the remark lightly and later threatened to file an ethics complaint against Pangilinan before the Senate Ethics Committee.
Pangilinan pointed out that throughout his long years in the Senate and despite numerous heated arguments and raised voices during plenary debates, this was the first time an ethics complaint would reportedly be filed over such an incident.
Despite the controversy, Pangilinan said he was prepared to face any complaint that Padilla may formally submit.
The incident drew attention after tensions escalated during the Senate session, highlighting disagreements between the two lawmakers inside the chamber.
