A day after heated debates rocked the Senate plenary, Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid brought a lighter tone to the chamber on Tuesday as he clarified that he had not left the minority bloc, drawing a series of jokes that briefly eased the tension among senators.
Lapid stood during the session to address social media claims that he had supposedly joined the majority after he remained silent during Monday’s contentious plenary debates.
“Paliwanag lang po, manifestation sa nangyari kahapon. Maraming kumakalat sa social media na lumipat na raw ako sa majority. Di po totoo ’yun. Mananatili po ako sa minority at di ako aalis,” Lapid said.
He also clarified that he supported the motion raised by Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, although he was not able to speak during Monday’s session.
“Yung motion ni Sen. Zubiri, suportado ko po. Di lang ako nakapagsalita kahapon. Ang hiling ko lang sa Senado ay magkaisa na tayo,” he added.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano acknowledged Lapid’s manifestation, then responded with a light remark that drew smiles inside the session hall.
“Noted. Wala ka man sa majority ay lagi kang nasa puso namin,” Cayetano said.
Sen. Pia Cayetano then rose to thank Lapid, not only for his words, but also for the food he continues to send her despite their political differences.
“Gusto kong pasalamatan si Sen. Lito Lapid na kahit magkaiba na kami ng partido, magkasama kami since 2004, ay nagpapadala pa rin siya ng maja blanca,” she said.
Lapid quickly returned the gesture with a playful reply: “Gusto ko kasing malaman mo na mahal kita.”
The remark sparked laughter in the plenary hall, turning what began as a clarification on political alignment into one of the lighter exchanges of the session.
The Senate President then joined the banter, joking that he wondered why Lapid sends maja blanca to his sister Pia, while sending him sisig despite knowing that he is taking statins for high cholesterol.
Sen. Joel Villanueva capped the exchange with a quip: “Nilalapit ka niya sa Diyos.”
The line again drew laughter from the chamber, offering a brief comic relief after Monday’s heated proceedings and Lapid’s call for unity among senators.