Newly installed Senate President Alan Cayetano hinted at a possible probe into the alleged involvement of senators who “plotted” to bar Senator Bato de la Rosa from attending Monday’s session in an attempt to block the coup against ousted Senator Tito Sotto. 

In a briefing on Wednesday, Cayetano alleged that the former majority bloc had mounted similar efforts in the past to keep De la Rosa from attending a session, which he asserted was tantamount to “criminal offense.” 

“So far, it appears that this was really a plot to stop him from coming here…This is not the first attempt to arrest him or the first attempt to take over the majority. But there is always a foul involved,” he lamented.

“If the investigation shows that senators plotted to keep another senator from attending the session […] that’s a criminal offense,” he continued, adding that they could refer the matter to the committee on ethics.

An intense standoff ensued on Monday after NBI operatives attempted to arrest De la Rosa, who made a surprise return to the Senate following a six-month-long absence, on a warrant from the International Criminal Court. 

CCTV footage showed De la Rosa running up the stairway and stumbling once as he ran away from NBI operatives.

The fuming former PNP chief entered the session hall, showing off a bruised finger as a result of the scuffle. 

His allies jumped to his defense, calling the NBI operations—allegedly coordinated with Sotto, as claimed by Cayetano—a brazen affront and a disrespect to the Senate. 

Sotto categorically denied the allegations, but Cayetano insisted that he cannot feign ignorance because the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, who resigned as a result of the scuffle, informed him that Sotto saw the ICC warrant before the session. 

Sotto’s presidency had been rocky and hounded by several coup attempts since taking the chamber’s highest post from Senator Chiz Escudero, who was ousted in September. 

Cayetano claimed he already mustered 14 votes to unseat Sotto even before Congress went on a break in March. Although originally, it was another senator, whom he did not name, who was supposed to replace Sotto had the coup succeeded.

Sotto and allies had outsmarted the former minority under Cayetano in several instances involving leadership change, according to the latter. 

However, the latest attempt to allegedly block the revamp was the turning point, 

Cayetano implied, citing the supposed effort to abandon their colleague De la Rosa in a bid to block it. 

Cayetano siblings ‘aided’ De la Rosa

Despite the threat of an ICC warrant, De la Rosa, undaunted, went to the Senate to meet the threshold of votes required to unseat Sotto, in a move aimed at blocking its enforcement. 

De la Rosa said it was Cayetano who arranged his vehicle, allowing him to pass through the security unnoticed amid the NBI’s presence at the Senate’s compound. 

Senator Ping Lacson on Wednesday alleged that the vehicle used by De la Rosa in entering the Senate was Senator Pia Cayetano’s, although the latter immediately dismissed it as “false.”

During the session, Cayetano set the record straight that he had nothing to do with facilitating De la Rosa’s entry on Monday. 

The Senate has provided sanctuary for De la Rosa by keeping him under protective custody, safeguarding him from authorities amid the ICC warrant. 

Senate leader Cayetano argued that the purported warrant has not yet been verified. Nevertheless, he reiterated that they will not surrender De la Rosa unless the warrant is issued by a local court. 

He also took a swipe at minority senators, who filed a resolution urging the Senate to convince De la Rosa to voluntarily surrender to local authorities while exhausting all legal remedies to block the ICC warrant.