Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan challenged Senator Robin Padilla regarding the latter's plan to file an ethics complaint against him, stating that he will also file a counter-complaint due to alleged threats and lack of decorum in the Senate.
Pangilinan's Response
In a post on Tuesday evening, Pangilinan said that Padilla's planned complaint lacks sufficient legal basis and advised him not to be "thin-skinned."
"In my long tenure here in the Senate and given the many instances of shouting and raised voices that have occurred, this might be the first time an ethics case arises from such," Pangilinan said.
According to the senator, intense discussions and raised voices are unavoidable during heated debates on the floor. "If that were against ethics, many senators would have been charged and penalized by now," he added.
Counter-Complaint
Pangilinan also stated that if Padilla pushes through with the complaint, he will file a counter-complaint against him for alleged violations of parliamentary rules, lack of proper decorum, and alleged threats and harassment while the plenary session was in recess.
"Bullying and acting tough won't work on me," Pangilinan said. "I don't want a fight. I am not a troublemaker, but I will not back down if he wants a legal battle," he added.
Background of Tension
The tension between the two senators began after the Senate discussed alleged harassment and human rights violations committed by personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) during an attempt to serve an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Monday evening.
