No doubt, Robin has hijacked the Senate. He showed AP Cayetano (APC) how to be a bully and a macho man. When he taunted Kiko Pangilinan with, “Wag mo ako hawakan, baka samain kita,” his message to APC seemed to be: “Let me handle this madhouse.”
Robin was in his element when he confronted Kiko, shouting, “Sinigawan mo ako!” Of course, Kiko is above this thug in barong. From Day 1, Robin has been signaling to Lito Lapid that he can mishmash the Senate however he pleases, to the delight of his base—the 30 million DDS supporters. (This is the reason why the APC bloc is contemptuous of the people. They have a base of 30M DDS now harboring Bato dela Rosa. Come 2028, they are confident in capturing the Palace. Congress will by then at their command: toying ₱8T in annual budget. The AFP seem to ignore this scenario. In other words, back to square one po tayo). His (Robin’s) behavior is a virtual slap on Lito Lapid. “Ibahin mo ako Mr Leon Guerrero. 24 years ka na dito sa senado, ‘di ka naman nagpaparamdam!”talkies ni Robin sa kanyang mga kaalyado.
It is no longer APC who is running the Senate. Robin is now the de facto leader of the diminishing majority. “Kung gusto nila ng away, ibigay natin!”
Meanwhile, vital Senate business has been neglected. As “the chamber failed to reach a quorum, or at least 13 senators physically present to make official decisions, several measures were left hanging, including the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, the confirmation of generals before the Commission on Appointments, and bills granting Philippine citizenship to Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos.”
Still, the brain is in command—but not the cerebrum, where a person thinks and acts according to fair play and established rules, making him a cerebral homo sapiens. Robin rules with his brain all right. Unfortunately, it is his amygdala