Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday shot down arguments raised by Senator Robin Padilla, who suggested that geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and the Taiwan Strait, alongside the impacts of El Niño, could be classified as force majeure to justify online attendance in Senate sessions.
Hontiveros countered that these long-standing global and environmental issues do not meet the definition of unforeseeable emergencies that would warrant a shift to virtual participation.
“Ano ba naman ‘yan? I mean, with all due respect, hindi po ‘yan mga force majeure,” Hontiveros remarked during a television interview.
Instead of staying away from the plenary, Hontiveros stressed that the economic fallout from the Middle East crisis—particularly fluctuating global oil prices—should drive lawmakers to attend sessions in person to craft solutions for struggling Filipinos.
She added that regional tensions with China and the ongoing threat of climate change are continuous challenges that the government has long been monitoring, rather than sudden disruptions.
The pushback comes after Padilla took to social media on Wednesday to question if current global threats already constitute an act of God or unavoidable state of war.
“War/gera/digmaan sa Gitnang Silangan na nagreresulta na ng terorismo sa iba’t ibang parte ng mundo, ang napipintong pagkadawit ng Pilipinas sa China-Taiwan conflict, hindi po ba ito force majeure?” Padilla wrote.
Under existing Senate guidelines, teleconferencing and online voting are strictly limited to national emergencies, mirroring the protocols enforced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The debate sparked earlier this week following a proposal by Senator Rodante Marcoleta to amend the chamber’s rules to permanently allow virtual attendance and voting. The move led to a heated floor debate on Tuesday, culminating in a walkout by the Senate minority bloc, who protested that proper notice rules for amending legislative procedures were bypassed.
Hontiveros confirmed that the minority bloc is prepared to resume deliberations on the issue when the Senate reconvenes on Monday.