Selective evidence? Drilon opposes Gordon's Dengvaxia report vs Aquino
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon slams Senator Richard Gordon Drilon for his 'premature' verdict and 'politicization' of a public health issue

Drilon praises Bong Go's basketball skills: 'Magaling talaga'
Senators Ralph Recto and Franklin Drilon joke that Special Assistant to the President Bong Go wants to run for the Senate so he could join the winning Senate Defenders basketball team

Senate leaders slam 'unconstitutional' petition to oust Sereno
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III says Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno can only be removed through impeachment, while Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says the petition is 'a slippery slope'

Senate panel junks ethics complaints vs De Lima, Lacson, Trillanes
(4TH UPDATE) The Senate ethics committee cites lack of jurisdiction in dismissing the 3 ethics complaints filed against Senator Leila de Lima

Bangsamoro region will fail if dynasties are not banned, lawmakers told
Ateneo School of Government dean Ronald Mendoza says 3 out of the 5 poorest provinces in the country are in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and have a high share of 'fat dynasties'

Inclusion of anti-dynasty provision in BBL pushed in Senate
Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, however, oppose the proposal, saying it would send a signal that the Bangsamoro people are being 'singled out' for a national issue

Drilon wants removal of SolGen power to intervene in annulment cases
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says the Office of the Solicitor General should not be concerned with private marital affairs, but Solicitor General Jose Calida says they 'don't mind'

Duterte denies hand in Napoles' accusations vs Drilon
President Rodrigo Duterte says Senator Franklin Drilon is his ‘friend’ but that the lawmaker should not ‘force the issue’

SEC order vs Rappler ‘bad for democracy’ – Drilon
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says the Securities and Exchange Commission should have given Rappler more time to address its alleged violations

Drilon counters Alvarez: Con-Ass dead without Senate
'Walang patutunguhan iyan kundi sementeryo,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Despite unanimous Senate 'no,' Alvarez insists on joint voting for Cha-Cha
'We are representatives of the people. We are the nearest link to the people, so why should senators' vote have more weight than a congressman?' says House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez

Former CJ Puno: SC can't intervene in revising Constitution
Former chief justice Reynato Puno is among those President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing to head a 25-person Constitutional Commission

Senate mulls expulsion of members who will attend House-led Constituent Assembly
Senators votes unanimously to demand that a joint assembly with the House to revise the Constitution allows separate voting by the two chambers

Joint voting on Cha-Cha? Senate's problems, plans against it
If the Senate's vote is needed on ordinary bills, why not on the crucial task of amending the 1987 Constitution?

Senate minority bloc eyes questioning Cha-Cha vote before SC
'We are open to it. Ultimately it will have to be decided by the Supreme Court,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, as he insists Congress should vote separately in a Constituent Assembly

Senate to insist on separate voting on Cha-cha – Drilon
Drilon sounds the alarm against recent statements made by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez against the performance of the Senate, seeing it as part of 'deliberate efforts' to weaken the institution and pave the way for its abolition

Plebiscite for federalism can't happen by May, Drilon says
'From my experience, the moment mag-impeachment court kami, wala kaming ibang matatrabaho,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Drilon: Martial law extension 'prelude' to PH-wide declaration?
Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra does not discount the possibility, saying it will all depend on 'factual circumstances' as defined by the 1987 Constitution

Psychological effect on AFP? Senators slam reason for martial law extension
Minority senators say this is not a constitutional basis to extend martial law for another year, saying it is not among the conditions set in the 1987 Constitution

Minority senators oppose extension of martial law in Mindanao
'As security forces reign supreme during martial law, would not military rule actually get in the way of a people-centered rebuilding and rehabilitating of the once vibrant city?' they ask

'Very strong lobby' vs cosmetic surgery tax in bicam, says Drilon
The bicameral conference committee on the proposed tax reform bill is yet to finalize the issue, which is only present in the Senate version

LP senators call for impartial probe into dengue vaccine controversy
'We must ensure that the investigation will not be selective and will cover all periods of implementation of the program,' says Liberal Party president Francis Pangilinan

Senate to pass national ID system bill by early 2018
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon allays fears that the national ID system would compromise citizens' right to privacy

Senate, House begin 'difficult' task of finalizing tax reform bill
Congress has only 6 session days left to approve the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), which is eyed for implementation on January 1, 2018

Senators exchange green jokes during debate on cosmetic surgery tax
'Mr President, Senator [Richard] Gordon wants the exclusion of certain procedures which are related to his name,' Senator Juan Edgardo Angara says in jest, referring to Gordon's nickname

After heated debate, senators approve 10% tax on cosmetic surgeries
'I cannot accept this, that we will not impose tax, especially when we read about some extravagant wedding abroad,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon during the debate, apparently referring to the lavish wedding of Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho

Drilon, Escudero warn Sereno subpoena will lead to constitutional crisis
'There is no basis and will provoke a needless constitutional crisis,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Drilon to DOTr: Find solutions, not scapegoats for MRT mess
'I have confidence in the integrity of these people,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon after the Department of Transportation files plunder charges against members of the Aquino Cabinet

Drilon wants P1.4-B anti-drug budget realigned to house policemen
Under the proposed 2018 budget, the PNP's Oplan Double Barrel and the DILG's Masa Masid program have allocations of P900 million and P500 million, respectively

Ahead of ASEAN Summit, senators urge gov't to enforce West PH Sea ruling
'We suggest that the government use its ASEAN chairmanship to rally our allies and friends to this end – for our people, for our fisherfolk,' senators say ahead of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit

'No politics' in EDSA march against killings
'Nobody here is destabilizing,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, as he and several other opposition members join the 'Lord, Heal Our Land' Sunday protest

DFA denies 'allegiance fee' to regain PH citizenship
It's not an 'allegiance fee' but a 'one-time fee for the processing of the application' for dual citizenship, says DFA spokesman Robespierre Bolivar

#ThewRap: Things you need to know, November 3, 2017
Hello! Here are the stories you shouldn't miss this Friday.

Drilon asks DFA to stop collecting allegiance fees
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says the collection of allegiance fees will not convince Filipinos who have lost their citizenship to reacquire it

#ThewRap: Things you need to know, October 27, 2017
Hello! Here are the stories you shouldn't miss this Friday.

Drug claims vs Roxas, Drilon part of admin's diversionary tactic – LP
'This latest drug allegation against prominent members of Partido Liberal clearly proves that this administration is going all-out to demonize the party in the eyes of the public,' the party says

DOJ to act on drug suspect's affidavit tagging Roxas, Drilon
Roxas calls it a 'poor and laughable attempt at fake news'
Opposition senators claim staff, LP emails hacked
(UPDATED) Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV presents screenshots to show hackers seemingly planting evidence to link the opposition to 'imaginary' destabilization plots

Senators welcome Bautista's resignation as 'right move'
Senate banks committee chair Francis Escudero says the probe into the bank accounts of Commission on Elections chair Andres Bautista will still continue

Ex-BI officials in Jack Lam bribery avoid plunder with missing P1,000
The two former Immigration deputy commissioners, Michael Robles and Al Argosino, are fraternity brothers of President Rodrigo Duterte and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II

Drilon alarmed by 70% drop in housing budget from P15B to P4B
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon proposes that the administration's intelligence funds be slashed to boost the 2018 budget of the housing sector

Drilon compares PNP 'lies' in Duterte's drug war to Nazi propaganda
'Ginagago ang taumbayan, to put it bluntly,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, reacting to the PNP's claim that there have been no extrajudicial killings under President Rodrigo Duterte's watch

Drilon vows to block BOC budget over lack of pre-shipment inspection
'I have no qualms in saying that I have not opposed the approval of any budget here in my 19 years. But this time I will put my foot down,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Duterte's PACC can't probe Ombudsman, judiciary – Drilon
'What we want to prevent here is a situation wherein constitutional offices would be, in effect, under the mercy of the executive that they are mandated to investigate,' says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Cimatu wants ‘national body’ to address problems in Boracay
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu says the best option for Boracay at this time is to take it away from the control of the local government

Ombudsman has no authority over Duterte – Koko Pimentel
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon calls for a 'ceasefire' and says only Congress has jurisdiction over impeachable officials

Drilon admits he underwent fraternity hazing
'Like Senator Gordon, Senator Lacson, we all went through this in our younger days. We all know what happens in initiation rights when you go through hazing,' says Minority Leader Franklin Drilon

Senate ethics panel puts on hold Faeldon's complaints
'Hindi mo kami kinikilala eh, 'Di mo nirerespeto Senado, ba't namin irerespeto complaint mo?' says Senate Majority Leader and ethics panel chair Vicente Sotto III

Senators warn of 'deadlock' if House insists on P1,000 CHR budget
Should there be a stalemate until December 31 there will be no new budget in 2018 The P3 35 trillion 2017 budget will just be reenacted with the CHR getting P749 million

Senate minority renews call for 'incompetent' Aguirre's resignation
The Filipinos deserve better than a Cabinet official who resorts to spreading lies sowing intrigue and to name calling opposition senators say
