Sotto, Lacson, Palace reject snap elections

His own colleagues Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, as well as Malacañang, on Monday dismissed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for a “resign all and snap elections” scenario, saying it is both unconstitutional and impractical.

Sotto was blunt: “We have no constitutional nor legal framework for snap elections,” he told reporters in a Viber message. “We will be flirting with uncertainty and chaos.”

Cayetano earlier proposed that all elected officials — from the President and Vice President down to the members of Congress — step down to pave the way for a snap election, arguing that it’s the only way to restore public trust amid corruption scandals linked to alleged multibillion-peso anomalies in flood control projects.

But Lacson said elections — snap or regular — are not the solution.

“Elections, snap or regular, is not the solution,” he said. “In fact, election campaigns actually add to more corruption — of the electorate by the candidates.”

He warned that rushing into another election could worsen the problem, with vote buying and misuse of public funds likely to spike as politicians scramble for power. Instead, Lacson said, the focus should be on ensuring that those involved in corruption are punished swiftly and surely.

“For a change, how about the certainty of punishment of corrupt politicians? The higher the better,” he added.

Malacañang shared the same sentiment, calling Cayetano’s idea nothing more than “wishful thinking.”

“It is just his wishful thinking. We do not have time to talk about one’s personal desires,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

She added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is too busy working for the people to entertain any political distractions.

“The President is busy helping those affected by the earthquake and typhoons. He has no time for this kind of politics. Let us all focus on the needs of the people and not on personal interests,” Castro said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) also rejected the proposal, saying there is no legal basis for holding snap polls outside the regular election calendar.

“We cannot conduct a special or snap election without a law,” Comelec chairperson George Garcia said in a radio interview.

Political analyst and former presidential adviser Ronald Llamas said the plan is unconstitutional — and suggested that Cayetano “should lead by example” by being the first to resign if he truly believed it.

Cayetano’s call irresponsible — analyst

A political analyst described Cayetano as “irresponsible” for calling for snap elections, saying his proposal could trigger political instability.

“For me, the statement he released was irresponsible,” said Dr. Jean Encinas-Franco, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines, in a radio interview.

“An incumbent senator should not make such statements because it invites political instability,” she added.

Encinas-Franco said Cayetano’s remarks do not help the Senate and instead highlight how “unstable” the chamber has become.

“Comments like that only aim to create confusion — to stir disorder so that laws won’t function and investigations can’t move forward. That’s the subtext of those pronouncements,” she explained.

She urged the senators to stand firm and not give in to pressure. “They should not be swayed. The Senate must remain strong,” she said.

Panelo: Impossible dream

Former Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Monday dismissed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s proposal for a snap election in which all elected officials would resign and skip one election cycle.

Panelo described the idea as “an impossible dream,” arguing that current officials, with few exceptions, would never voluntarily relinquish their positions. “Like a leech, they will cling to their source of power, influence, and wealth,” he said.

He added that if the goal is a “fresh start and a clean slate,” the only viable solution would be to establish a revolutionary government and constitutionally abolish Congress. “Short of that, the vicious cycle of electing corrupt officials who will plunder the nation’s wealth will continue,” Panelo warned.

The former spokesperson’s remarks came amid renewed debate over political reform and the persistent calls to address alleged systemic corruption among public officials.