Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla said the Middle East war and the Philippines’ possible involvement in the China-Taiwan conflict justifies the proposed move to allow senators to participate in Senate activities remotely via video conference.

“War/gera/digmaan sa Gitnang Silangan na nagreresulta na ng terorismo sa iba’t ibang parte ng mundo, ang napipintong pagkadawit ng Pilipinas sa China-Taiwan conflict. Hindi po ba ito force majeure?” he said in a Facebook post.

This comes amid pushback from the minority bloc, with Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan criticizing what he described as an “attempt to rush a major change in Senate rules” just 15 days after Senator Rodante Marcoleta introduced the proposal on the floor.

Later, Padilla would release another statement regarding the proposal, explaining that Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa would attend Senate sessions in person if he was not at risk of arrest.

“Si Bato ay wanted ng ICC (International Criminal Court), hindi niya gusto na hindi siya pumapasok. Malayong magkaiba (‘yung) ayaw pumasok dahil isasakay sa eroplano at dadalhin sa dayuhang bansa at ikulong! Hindi niya gusto na hindi pumasok (nang) personal,” Padilla wrote in a second Facebook post.

Senators Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros previously opposed the move, emphasizing a critical distinction between the necessity of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and the current attempt to bypass legal processes.

For Hontiveros, the proposal creates a dangerous “Senateflix” precedent, offering institutional privileges to members who refuse to submit to lawful arrest or judicial authority. Both minority senators argued this was not a matter of modernization, but of accountability; they maintain that the Senate’s legitimacy is tethered to the physical presence of its members, who must face the public and the law rather than hiding behind a screen.