After a change in the Senate leadership that caused a shakeup in committee chairmanships, a video on YouTube claims that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has been kicked out of the Senate. This is false.
On May 23, a YouTube channel published the spurious video with the following headline:
“KAKAPASOK LANG Sumab0g (sic) sa Galit si Zubiri Chiz FPrrd Sinibak-si Bato delarosa Liza Jinggoy Sabwatan
(Just in: Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, Chiz Escudero and President Ferdinand Marcos exploded in anger and fired Bato Dela Rosa Liza Jinggoy Connivance).”
The following text can also be read on the video’s thumbnail:
“SINIBAK SI BATO. SENADO PINALAYAS SI BATO SA PWESTO (Bato was fired. The Senate removed Bato from his position).”
The video never showed any evidence to support the claim in its headline and thumbnail and instead only carried a commentary from Maharlika, a pro-administration political blogger.
President Ferdinand Marcos has made no such order to remove Dela Rosa as senator, and cannot do so. A concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate is needed to successfully suspend or expel an erring senator from his/her seat, according to Article VI, Sec. 16 of the 1987 Constitution.
And neither did Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri nor Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero file a motion to suspend or expel Dela Rosa from the Senate.
A similar claim about an alleged suspension of a senator was also debunked by VERA Files Fact Check. (Read FACT CHECK: Estrada NOT suspended from Senate)
This video emerged after Dela Rosa admitted to signing the resolution seeking to install Escudero as the new Senate chief, despite being seen weeping when Zubiri gave his resignation speech as Senate president.
YouTube channel BANAT PH UPDATE TV (created on Oct. 13, 2021) published the video with the false claim which could have reached 130,000 YouTube users, garnering over 10,000 views and 270 online interactions.
