The legislature of the national government is probably the most tangible form of a political arena in the country, and this year’s most controversial stories in national politics prove just that.
The Philippine’s legislative branch is bicameral, or having two chambers: consisting of a lower chamber, the House of Representatives (also commonly called “Congress”), and an upper chamber, the Senate. Its primary responsibility is lawmaking, which starts with the drafting of bills and proposals for revisions or amendments in the lower chamber. After three readings, committee discussions, and hearings in Congress, the bills and proposals are transmitted to the Senate, where they undergo the same process again.
As directed by the 1987 Constitution, other powers of the Congress and Senate include budgetary powers, the power to implement taxes, and to impeach, among other things.
In hearings, resource speakers are invited or required to attend to better inform lawmakers’ decisions. They could be private and public citizens, experts, insiders, and even criminals. As a democratic process, the public is given access to these hearings to keep them informed.
These public hearings are livestreamed on YouTube through the official channels of the Senate of the Philippines, the House of Representatives, and of major media outlets. Depending on how big the issues are, livestreams can reach as many as 1.3 million viewers, as in the case of the eleventh quad-committee hearing on extrajudicial killings (EJKs), illegal drugs, and illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) activities.
Aside from informing, the hearings also agitate, disappoint, and entertain. Here’s a list of the 10 hearings you probably could not stop hearing about this year.
Another ‘Cha-cha’ Attempt
In January, Senators Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, and Sonny Angara filed a proposal to review amendments to economic provisions in the 1987 Constitution. The proposal, Resolution of Both Houses No.6 (RB No. 6), sought to amend constitutional provisions on public services, education, and the advertising industry by including the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law.” Like all other charter change attempts, RB No. 6 failed. Current Senate President Chiz Escudero said in a speech in July that “cha-cha” proposals would be “placed in the backburner,” with Senator Robin Padilla adjourning the hearings in August despite unresolved discussions on the economic amendments.
Apollo Quiboloy, ‘Arrested Son of God’
Starting January, Senator Hontiveros chaired the Senate panel inquiring on sexual abuse of minors and human trafficking allegations against the church the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) and its leader, Apollo Quiboloy. Former KOJC members and employees were brought in to provide personal accounts of abuse and being tasked to beg for alms. The hearings concluded in October, with Quiboloy only having appeared once, after his arrest in September, out of the four sessions. Quiboloy is set to undergo trial at the Pasig City and the Quezon City Regional Courts, and is wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senator Raffy Tulfo Questions PCSO Lotto’s Integrity
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) came under scrutiny in January after many bettors won over P500 million each through major lotto draws within three weeks. Chaired by Senator Raffy Tulfo, the Committee on Games and Amusement and the Committee on Ways and Means investigated the government-owned corporation. Among the concerns Tulfo raised during the hearing was that a rich bettor could have placed bets on all P14 million combinations in the Super Lotto 6/49 to win, which PCSO General Manager Mel Robles denied. Robles even invited the senators to observe the lotto processes for themselves.
Sexual Assault Cases in the Entertainment Industry
In August, actor Sandro Muhlach filed a complaint at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for sexual assault against two contractors connected to GMA Network, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, kicking off an investigation in the Senate and wider discussions regarding cases of abuse and harassment in the local entertainment industry.
In the hearings, singer-actor Gerald Santos also shared with the Committee on Public Information and Mass Media that he was raped by a former musical director as a contestant in the GMA program Pinoy Pop Superstar in 2005, Rappler reports. While GMA Network conducted its own investigation on Muhlach’s case, it also stated that the network already investigated Santos’ case in 2010 and terminated the accused’s contract.
Robin Padilla Gets Lectured on Consent
During one of the aforementioned sexual assault hearings, Padilla questioned family lawyer Attorney Lorna Kapunan’s “no means no” stance on consent, saying, “Andiyan ang asawa mo to serve you” (Your wife is there to serve you) and that men generally have “urges” that their wives must help” them with.
Kapunan suggested that men who struggle with such “urges” should seek counseling. She added, “Hindi po obligasyon ng wife to serve the husband” (The wife is not obligated to serve the husband). Padilla’s controversial statements drew him flak and prompted discussions on the internet about rape and consent.
POGOs and the Harry Roque-Cassandra Ong Connection
According to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) primer on POGOs released in The Manila Bulletin, online gaming operations have existed in the Philippines since 2003, but it wasn’t until former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration that the industry boomed, raising questions on how — if at all — these online gambling companies were being regulated.
This year’s POGO hearings are only a continuation of years of investigation into related issues, such as illegal immigration, tax fraud, identity fraud and theft, rising prices in residential areas near POGO complexes, and corruption. Notably, former presidential spokesperson of Duterte Harry Roque came into scrutiny, having been hired by Lucky South 99 associate Cassandra Ong to be the lawyer of real estate firm Whirlwind, which had leased land to the POGO firm.
POGO hearings wrapped up in November with the director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), Winnie Quidato, revealing that POGOs are breaking into smaller groups to evade authorities following Pres. Marcos’ POGO ban announcement in his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.
A Grilling Alice Guo Will Remember
In March, local authorities found a 10-hectare POGO complex in Bamban, Tarlac, triggering an investigation involving now-dismissed Mayor Alice Guo. Senator Risa Hontiveros led the Senate’s inquiry, pointing out inconsistencies in various documents and claims from the Guo family: ages in business records that didn’t match up with birth certificates, different marriage dates in Tarlac versus missing marriage records on the Philippine Statistic Authority’s (PSA) end, and Guo denying knowing a Shiela Guo despite having traveled with her in the past, to name a few. Guo also did not answer questions about her birthplace and education history, saying, “Your honor, ‘di ko na po maalala” (I don’t remember).
During a hearing on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) 2025 budget in August, Senator Hontiveros questioned VP Sara Duterte’s proposed socio-economic programs, which Hontiveros said appeared “parallel” to the existing programs of other government agencies. Included in the budget proposal was the publication and distribution of Duterte’s storybook, “Isang Kaibigan,” for which the OVP sought a budget of P10 million. The hearing progressed into a heated exchange between the two after Hontiveros asked Duterte to tell the Senate more about the book and its contents, with Duterte saying that the senator was “politicizing the budget.”
The War on Drugs Hearings
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee began its probe into the Duterte administration’s EJKs and war on drugs in October, where former President Rodrigo Duterte made an appearance. Here, he said that he told police officers to encourage suspects to fight back to justify killing said suspects. He also said that the Davao Death Squad (DDS) he had formed during his time as Davao City Mayor was made up of “gangsters,” not police officers. The International Criminal Court’s investigation into the EJKs “may or may not lead to trials,” according to Human Rights Watch.
Bringing Confidential Funds to the Light
Vice President Duterte found herself in the hot seat yet again as Congress probed into the OVP and Department of Education’s (DepEd) confidential funds. The detention of OVP Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez at the House of Representatives prompted a rant from Duterte over Facebook Live, where she aired grievances over attacks against her office and threatened to assassinate President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Following this, OVP and DepEd special disbursing officers (SDO) told House members that the confidential funds were given to security personnel. DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda said that he gave Colonel Dennis Nolasco P112.5 million in weekly tranches during Duterte’s tenure as DepEd Secretary, while OVP SDO Gina Acosta gave Colonel Raymund Dante Lachica P125 million in confidential funds. Acosta was wheeled out of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, with Duterte accompanying her to the hospital, after her blood pressure spiked to 150/100 during the hearing.
