MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – It was bound to happen. Two vice presidential candidates needed to settle their differences, and all it took was for Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes to sit apart.

In yesterday’s Philippine Senate hearing on alleged extra-judicial killings, Trillanes accused Cayetano of being “madaldal” (talkative, blabbermouth).

Cayetano, on the other hand, said he had the right as a senator elected by the people to get to the bottom of a witness testimony.  That witness testified that he was a member of the so-called Davao Death Squads (DDS) which allegedly perpetrated EJK in Davao City when President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was still mayor.

The hearing turned into a verbal confrontation between Cayetano and Trillanes — on and off the mike.  At one point, committee chair  Leila De Lima had to put herself in between the two senators.

In the end, Cayetano asked De Lima to order Trillanes from talking to him. “He keeps talking to me.  I don’t want to talk to him,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano moved to another seat away from Trillanes.  Trillanes was named official Senate timekeeper.  And De Lima displayed a skill never before seen from her — being a good referee.

All’s well that ends well.

HERNANI, Eastern Samar, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Former President NoyNoy Aquino and former presidential candidate Mar Roxas issued a joint statement today accusing Vice President Leni Robredo of being a ‘balimbing’ (star fruit). Robredo was Roxas’ running mate under Aquino’s Liberal Party in the last presidential election.

Being called ‘balimbing’ is derogatory.  It refers to a turncoat, or someone who switches loyalty or political affiliation to advance one’s own personal career.

Aquino and Roxas were reportedly fuming upon learning that Robredo is lamenting that housing construction for the victims of Super-typhoon Yolanda has been very slow.  The disastrous typhoon happened during Aquino’s time when Roxas was Interior and Local Governments Secretary.

Robredo’s comment came as she visited a National Housing Agency (NHA) housing site in Hernani, Eastern Samar where out of the target 900 emergency shelters, only 200 are being constructed and none has been finished yet.

Robredo was appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDSCC).

“Sobrang bagal. At hindi lang yun dito sa Hernani, sa buong Yolanda-stricken areas. Nakakadismaya kasi tawag natin emergency shelter response, ‘di ba? Hindi na yun emergency kasi wala pa nga [We are dismayed that construction has been slow. These were called emergency shelters and yet they are still not up], Robredo said.

The Adobo Chronicles tried to reach the Vice President for reaction of Aquino’s and Roxas’ statement, but her office said she was still out of the office inspecting other emergency housing sites in the Visayas.