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Clarification on suspension of rules: Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino, during the marathon plenary deliberation on the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023, Wednesday, November 16, 2022, seeks clarification on the suspension of the Senate Rules which allowed Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga to directly answer the queries of senators on environmental issues. “There was a suspension of rules a while ago and it has reference to a point raised previously by Sen. (Raffy) Tulfo that has something to do with the Masungi situation. Is this now a full-blown suspension of rules to include the entire universe of the budget of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources? Not just the Masungi situation?” Tolentino asked. In response, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, chairperson of the Committee on Rules, did not limit the quizzing on the Masungi situation but allowed the plenary to directly question Yulo-Loyzaga on other DENR concerns. (Voltaire Fernandez Domingo/Senate PRIB)