The new Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair, Senator Pia Cayetano, on Wednesday burst into tears after the manifestation of minority member Senator Risa Hontiveros, who said some senators had become complacent and were acting as if nothing had happened after the 13 May commotion, which resulted in gunfire and chaos in the halls of the Senate.
“Mr. President, halos isang linggo nang matapos ang habulan at barilan dito sa Senado. Sa loob-loob ko, hindi ako mapanatag na simula noong Lunes, ang ipinapakita natin ay… para bang walang nangyari… na para bang hindi nabastos ang ating institusyon, ang ating mga empleyado, at ang mga Pilipino,” said Hontiveros.
The senator also questioned whether the Senate’s reputation had sunk because of political divisions.
“Ganito na ba talaga kababa ang inabot ng ating pulitika sa Pilipinas? Ito na ba tayo, Mr. President? Tuluyan na bang nilihis ng pulitika ang ating mga pamantayan sa pakikipagkapwa?
“The situation stooped so low that here, in and around these same august halls, may pwedeng magkasa ng baril sa harap ng mga sibilyan. Dear colleagues, kahit kailan hindi yan nangyari sa Pilipinas kahit panahon ng kudeta. Not even during the darkest days of Martial Law did gunfire erupt within our halls,” she lamented.
She said the Senate, as an institution, has sustained a profound injury to its dignity, credibility and moral authority before the Filipino people.
“And this frustrates me every day since Wednesday, including in the context of initial findings from the investigation conducted by the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine National Police, beginning to reveal various points,” she said.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta attempted to interpellate on Hontiveros’ manifestation. However, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano urged colleagues not to defer the discussion and instead reset all manifestations and interpellations to Monday, 25 May.
Moments later, Senator Pia raised her hand and stood at the podium crying as she recalled her ordeal when she was just two doors away from where the shooting happened.
“Para sabihin nyo na parang walang nangyari, napakasakit para amin kahit na nandirito. Yung media, yung Senate staff at mga security na hindi makauwi. So dear colleagues, napakaraming nangyari, and one more thing, wala po akong sinisisi,” she said while crying.
The senator also aired her frustration, saying no one in the previous majority bloc even checked on how they were feeling.
“Pero pagtingin ko sa Viber group, sa dating majority, wala man lang nangamusta sa amin. Some of you I have known for 20 years, for many years. And I didn’t even hear you say, ‘Kamusta na kayo dyan?’ Napakasakit para sa akin, sobrang sakit,” she said.
“Kung wala kayo dito, huwag nyong kwestiyunin yung mga nangyari sa mga nandito. Dahil nandito kami, kasama ng staff namin. You have your own story, I respect that, but respect also my own story,” she added.
Senator Hontiveros later returned to the podium and maintained that she deeply respects Cayetano’s emotions.
“It is evident that the violence that breached our halls has profoundly affected all of us, and I don't doubt the leadership's personal distress over what transpired. However, when I stated that it feels now as though ‘walang nangyari,’ I was not speaking about our personal feelings. I was speaking about our institutional posture. Our grief as senators is valid, but our mandate requires action,” she explained.
To recall, the new minority bloc, headed by Senator Tito Sotto, was accused of allegedly knowing that some commotion would happen that afternoon, which was supposedly why they went home early.
However, Senator Erwin Tulfo clarified that they went home early that day because they were not included in the meeting, as only members of the new majority were invited.
