Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta leads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country on September 8, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Commission on Appointments Committee on National Defense moved to strike out the use of Senator Rodante Marcoleta of the word “satsat”, which means chatter or idle talk, during their meeting on Wednesday.The panel was considering the ad interim appointments of 70 generals and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines when Marcoleta brought up the topic of the West Philippine Sea, an issue he has engaged in heated debate on at the Senate in recent weeks.He said that that he filed a resolution for a hearing with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) and other offices involved in drawing of the map of the Philippines, which includes the West Philippine Sea.Marcoleta said a hearing was originally scheduled on March 12, but he was informed on Tuesday that it will not push through because of national security concerns.“Mr. Chair, si Commodore Tarriela, si retired Justice Antonio Carpio, si Batongbacal na propesor sa UP, satsat nang satsat sa ating media,” Marcoleta said.(Mr. Chair, Commodore Tarriela, retired Justice Antonio Carpio, and that Batongbacal, who is a UP professor, keep chattering to the media)Marcoleta was referring to Philippine Coast Guard Rear Admi.Jay Tarriela, former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, and maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal.He said he was puzzled why they are allowed to talk to media about it if talk of the West Philippine Sea is a national security issue.Marcoleta has been questioning the narrative of the Philippine&#x27;s discovery and occupation of the Kalayaan Island Group, which he has stressed is not within the country&#x27;s exclusive economic zone.Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros moved to strike out “satsat”, saying it does not describe what the three men have been doing. “Alam ko na ang salitang &#x27;satsat&#x27; ay karaniwan nagre-refer po sa isang Tagalog term para sa idle gossip, chatter o babble,” Hontiveros noted.(I know that &#x27;satsat&#x27; commonly refers to idle gossip, chatter or babble)She added the Commission on Appointments panel was not the proper venue to discuss issues that are a matter for the Senate in plenary.<div> </div><div>MARCOLETA OPEN TO REVISING MINUTES</div>Marcoleta said he used the word “satsat” because he believes what the three have been saying have no basis.He insisted that Carpio was wrong to say there is no need to define the Philippines&#x27; exclusive economic zone through charts and map coordinates.He also said that Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea at UP Law, lied when he said Philippine maps and charts had been deposited with the United nations.“Si Admiral Tarriela ang sinasabi po niya, ang West Philippine Sea hindi raw po disputed. Eh nag-aaway away nga po ang mga bansa dahil dyan eh,” Marcoleta continued.(Admiral Tarriela is saying the West Philippine Sea is not disputed. But you see countries are fighting over it)The Philippine government&#x27;s position is that the 2016 arbitral ruling already settled the dispute. China has rejected those proceedings.Marcoleta said he was open to changing the word “satsat” and accepted the suggestion to replace it with “pahayag,” “salita,” or “pagpapaliwanag”, which mean &quot;statement&quot;, &quot;speech&quot;, and &quot;explanation&quot;, respectively.The motion to replace the word was carried.Meanwhile, the CA panel referred Resolution 099-016 of the Sangguniang Bayan of Kalayaan, Palawan to the Commission’s Committee on Rules and Resolutions.Resolution 099-016 seeks to expunge from the CA panel’s records Marcoleta&#x27;s remarks on giving up the Kalayaan Island Group. The senator has said his words had been taken out of contexxt.The panel moved to defer consideration of the minutes of their February 4 meeting until the Committee on Rules and Resolutions acts on Resolution 099-016.Marcoleta has also proposed certain amendments to the February 4 minutes.

The panel was considering the ad interim appointments of 70 generals and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines when Marcoleta brought up the topic of the West Philippine Sea, an issue he has engaged in heated debate on at the Senate in recent weeks.

The panel was considering the ad interim appointments of 70 generals and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines when Marcoleta brought up the topic of the West Philippine Sea, an issue he has engaged in heated debate on at the Senate in recent weeks.

CA panel strikes out Marcoleta’s use of word ‘satsat’ in meeting

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CA panel strikes out Marcoleta’s use of word ‘satsat’ in meeting

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 11, 2026 05:51 PM PHT

|

Updated Mar 11, 2026 07:03 PM PHT

Read More:

Commission on Appointments

Rodante Marcoleta

Risa Hontiveros

West Philippine Sea

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