Kevin Alabaso

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarifies on an ambush interview after the tension on the morning of Tuesday, 4 June that he did not block the witnesses of today's alleged flood control anomalies. Remula also added that he was on his way out after the press conference and meeting with Senate Pro Templore Sherwin Gatchalian. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jonvic

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RmxECP7ECWA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA -- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he was “almost trampled upon” and that he had to protect himself following a commotion among him and Senators Robin Padilla and Pia Cayetano at the Senate on Thursday.</p><p>The three were involved in what looked like a shoveoff before a hearing on flood control projects led by the Cayetano bloc as the two senators went to fetch resource persons.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/commotion-breaks-out-among-remulla-padilla-cayetano-1118" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ: Commotion breaks out among Remulla, Padilla, Cayetano</a></div><p>Remulla explained why he was positioned the way he was, saying he could not move to the side because this would already be by the door.</p><p>“Wala na akong tatabihan eh. So kung tumabi ako, dito ako tatama– papunta sa door, sa pintuan na ‘yun. So I had to put myself in a position na puwede ako umatras. And then there was that position– kung tingnan niyo nga– I did not hold on to anyone. Wala akong sinigawan. I just looked at them. Tumabi lang ako. But there was no position to move aside,” Remulla said.</p><p>“I had to protect myself kasi siguro mga 50 sila. Pumunta ako dito para mag-confer lang kay Sen. [Sherwin Gatchalian] regarding security procedures. Nung paalis na ako, bilang nagdelubyo na rito,” Remulla added, also saying Padilla did not necessarily push him.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OliG69tKqpM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘SORRY IF I CANNOT APPRECIATE SOMEBODY STANDING IN FRONT OF ME’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>But before Remulla made these statements, Cayetano already denied what the interior secretary earlier said about not having tried to block senators because he was alone.</p><p>Cayetano said if a person did not move away upon seeing her walking towards them, this would effectively be an attempt to block her.</p><p>&quot;Ay, hindi yata. Kasi nakita nung staff ko na may iba siyang kasama. Tsaka may video. Naglalakad ako dito. ‘Pag hindi ka umalis, edi hinarang mo ako, ‘di ba, kuya?” Cayetano asked the media, acting a hypothetical scenario out.</p><p>“Sorry if I cannot appreciate somebody standing in front of me and I&#x27;m trying to move forward. ‘Di naman ako nagmamalaki, pero I would think naman na, excuse me, puwede bang makidaan?” Cayetano added.</p><p>For Remulla, apologies among the parties involved is no longer necessary.</p><p>“Hindi na kailangan. Trabaho lang nila ‘yun, and they were doing their job… Physically, I wasn&#x27;t hurt,” Remulla said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>PREVENTING CLASH BETWEEN FACTIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Aside from discussions on security procedures, Remulla mentioned a few different reasons for his appearance at the Senate, among which is to prevent a clash between factions in the building.</p><p>“I&#x27;m here kasi nagkakaroon ng parehong factions sa left and right of the building. Ang iniiwasan namin– mag-clash ‘yung dalawang ‘yan. So, nakiusap ako sa kanya, let&#x27;s keep things down, the rhetoric down,” Remulla said.</p><p>Aside from this, Remulla had matters to discuss with acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian involving the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.</p><p>Citing Gatchalian, Remulla said the supposed “new Blue Ribbon Committee” wrote to the Sandiganbayan to say it should no longer recognize the “old” panel’s request to bring Brice Hernandez to the Senate.</p><p>“Kanina, pinakita niya sa akin na ‘yung new Blue Ribbon Committee sumulat na sa Sandiganbayan na they no longer recognize the request of the old Blue Ribbon Committee… Kasi baka ma-contempt ‘yung mga tao ko sa BJMP kung i-produce si Brice Hernandez dito. So I had to clarify everything,” Remulla said.</p><p>“They have the copy already na cancelled na ‘yung order to bring Brice Hernandez here,” Remulla added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/gatchalian-resource-persons-won-t-be-allowed-to-enter-senate-on-thursday-0948">Cayetano-led hearing tags Sotto, Tulfo in flood control mess</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/tulfo-says-ex-marine-accuser-confused-with-own-lies-1523">Tulfo says ‘ex-Marine’ accuser ‘confused’ with own ‘lies’</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/nbi-probing-alleged-bribe-for-ex-marines-1214">NBI probing alleged bribe for ‘ex-Marines’</a></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pujn1Ax8XmY?&amp;pp=0gcJCSgLAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XoZw5ppbHnY?&amp;pp=0gcJCSgLAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he was “almost trampled upon” and that he had to protect himself following a commotion among him and Senators Robin Padilla and Pia Cayetano at the Senate on Thursday.</p>

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he was “almost trampled upon” and that he had to protect himself following a commotion among him and Senators Robin Padilla and Pia Cayetano at the Senate on Thursday.

‘I had to protect myself:’ Remulla says he was almost trampled on in Senate commotion

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‘I had to protect myself:’ Remulla says he was almost trampled on in Senate commotion

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 04, 2026 04:59 PM PHT

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Jonvic Remulla

Senate

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Robin Padilla

Pia Cayetano

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