Truce called in Ping-Imee word war

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January 18, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito called for a truce in the word war between Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Imee Marcos. Speaking to Bilyonaryo News Channel on Friday, Ejercito said senators should debate in the proper forum like in the Senate.

“Debates and discussions are part of democracy. It is normal to have disagreements,” he said, hoping this would not end up in throwing insults at each other.

“Senators like us should respect each other despite our differences in opinion,” Ejercito, who chairs the Senate ethics committee, said. He lamented that Lacson and Marcos had resorted to “below the belt personal attacks.”

“We are a democracy. But we have to respect each other despite our differing opinions or positions,” Ejercito said.

The senators’ word war started when Marcos claimed that the minority were being prevented by Senate Blue Ribbon chair Lacson from linking former House speaker Martin Romualdez to the flood control anomaly.

Lacson denied this, as he also questioned Marcos’ “moral ascendancy” in calling out “soft” pork barrel funds when she herself has P2.5 billion in “allocable funds” in 2025.

The debate turned nasty when Marcos, instead of addressing the issue, said she would lose in a hair pulling match (“sabunutan”) with Lacson, implying the senator is gay.

Lacson did not back down, not only denying the allegations and calling himself a “real man,” but also poking fun at Marcos’ cosmetic enhancements.