Senate’s Invisible Hand (1)
Alan Peter Cayetano has long been an ally of Rodrigo Duterte, first as his running mate in 2016 and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
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Alan Peter Cayetano has long been an ally of Rodrigo Duterte, first as his running mate in 2016 and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
Recent events in the Philippine Senate suggest more than ordinary political maneuvering. They point to a deeper shift in power inside the institution. Once known for figures such as Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, Claro M. Recto, Jovito Salonga and Miriam Defensor Santiago, the Senate is now caught in a political struggle that appears aimed at protecting Vice President Sara Duterte.
This became clearer after media reports showed Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa avoiding agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) while facing an outstanding warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) linked to the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Soon after, the Senate went through a sudden overnight leadership change. Rather than a normal administrative reshuffle, it appears to have created protection for the Vice President by placing allies in key posts and slowing down the impeachment effort of the House of Representatives.
Stopping an impeachment trial may not be the only reason for the reorganization, but it seems to be the main goal that holds the coalition together. The senators in the new majority may have different personal and political interests, but those interests meet under one shared purpose: protecting the Vice President’s political position.
Adam Smith’s idea of the “invisible hand” describes how individual self-interest can, under certain conditions, produce benefits for society as a whole. In markets, this principle assumes that competition can channel private motives toward public gain.
In today’s political setting, however, that idea works very differently. In a divided Senate, self-interest is no longer serving the public good. Instead it is being used to gain control and ensure political survival. Rather than helping democracy work better, the system now seems to reward those who know how to protect themselves.
This helps explain the character of the new Senate majority. Its cohesion does not rest on a shared ideology or legislative program. Instead it is sustained by overlapping interests, mutual protection, and the pursuit of political longevity.
A closer look at the coalition’s composition makes this dynamic clearer.
At the center of this group are Senators Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go and Robin Padilla. These senators make up the Duterte bloc in the Senate and have long been loyal to the Duterte family. That loyalty was clear when Dela Rosa, after staying out of public view for months, showed up to vote for the leadership change even though he faced the possibility of arrest and transfer to the ICC.
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Imee Marcos joined the bloc for her own political reasons. As her tensions with the First Family became more evident during the early years of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s presidency, she moved closer to the Duterte camp. Her opposition to the ICC’s actions against Rodrigo Duterte, her support for Vice President Sara Duterte during the 2025 senatorial campaign and her sharp remarks at an Iglesia ni Cristo rally all showed this shift.
The other members of the coalition seem to have their own political and legal reasons for joining it.
Senator Loren Legarda, who was once part of the previous majority, has also changed sides. Some analysts say this happened while her son, Rep. Leandro Leviste, was facing questions from the Department of Energy about unmet renewable energy commitments, as well as a political conflict with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto linked to the 2025 flood control investigation.
Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar also joined the new majority for political reasons. The Villar family has long been close to the Duterte administration, especially during Mark Villar’s time as Secretary of Public Works and Highways. Joining this bloc may help them politically as the family faces Ombudsman scrutiny over infrastructure projects and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations involving alleged insider trading, market manipulation and other securities violations.
The Cayetano siblings also follow this pattern. Alan Peter Cayetano has long been an ally of Rodrigo Duterte, first as his running mate in 2016 and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Pia Cayetano has usually taken the side of her brother on major political and legislative issues.
Some observers have also pointed to a “flood control bloc” made up of Francis Escudero, Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada. Their support for the majority is seen as a way to protect themselves as investigations into the 2025 flood control controversy continue.
Taken together, these alliances seem to be driven less by shared principles than by the hope of future protection, legal advantage, or political gain — especially if Sara Duterte remains a strong contender for the presidency in 2028.
(To be continued)
