FACT CHECK: Pangilinan not suspended from Senate over clash with Cayetano

Claim: Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan was suspended from the Senate after a heated exchange with Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A YouTube video uploaded on February 12 by the channel “Political PH TV”  bears the title, “Heto na! Kiko suspendido na? Dinurog ni Cayetano! Deserve!” 

(Here it is! Kiko suspended? Destroyed by Cayetano! [He] deserved [it]!)

Its thumbnail bears the text, “Suspendido na! Cayetano, dinurog si Kiko sa Senado! Deserve! (Suspended! Cayetano destroyed Kiko in the Senate! Deserved!),” alongside an image of Cayetano holding up a document.

As of writing, the video has garnered over 10,700 views and 1,000 likes.

The facts: Pangilinan was not suspended, sanctioned, or removed from the Senate floor, contrary to the claim.

During the February 9 plenary session, proceedings were suspended twice amid a heated exchange between Pangilinan and Cayetano during the interpellation of Proposed Senate Resolution 256.

There is no Senate record showing that Pangilinan was penalized. He continued participating in the session and remained the sponsor of the resolution under discussion. 

The video’s title and thumbnail reframe the exchange between the two senators as the reason behind Pangilinan’s supposed suspension. In reality, the content is merely a repost of a political commentary by vlogger Banat By reacting to the interpellation. 

Heated exchange: The dispute arose from deliberations on Senate Resolution 256, which condemned Chinese diplomats for statements against Philippine officials defending Manila’s maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea.

At the center of the controversy was Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela. In January, during a forum at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, he displayed a caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping titled “Why China remains to be bully?”

The Chinese Embassy filed diplomatic protests, accusing Tarriela of “attacking and smearing” Xi and committing a “blatant political provocation” that had “crossed the red line.”

During the Senate debate, Cayetano opposed the Senate’s adoption of the resolution, calling Tarriela’s actions “undiplomatic, reckless, and unprofessional.” He argued that such moves could worsen tensions with China and potentially affect overseas Filipino workers.

Pangilinan, who sponsored the resolution, pushed back. “We stand behind our men in uniform,” he said. 

“We oppose and condemn the lies, the disinformation, and the maligning being undertaken by China against senators, congressmen, and our men in uniform,” he added.

At one point, the exchange grew tense enough to prompt a temporary suspension of the session.

Despite the fireworks, the resolution was ultimately adopted by the Senate after a nearly three-hour debate. – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com

Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. 

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.