Cayetano defends Senate presidency amid rivalry
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PASAY CITY — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday maintained that he remains the legitimate head of the Senate despite a leadership shake-up that saw Senator Win Gatchalian take the oath as Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president.
Cayetano made the remarks during a press conference on the Senate floor alongside Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
Opening his statement, Cayetano said that while he may have a "kingdom," he has never acted as a king.
“A Senate controlled by Malacañang is not a true Senate,” he said.
He was referring to Wednesday's Senate proceedings, during which committee leadership positions were declared vacant and reassigned, including the Blue Ribbon Committee now headed by Sen. Erwin Tulfo.
“There are things happening behind the scenes. That's why I say res ipsa loquitur. Read between the lines and you'll understand what happened,” Cayetano said.
“But what is the reality? The reality is, I was elected by 13. The Constitution,” he added, stressing that a Senate president cannot be removed without 13 votes.
“Second, even assuming they had a quorum, they still need 13 votes to remove the Senate President and the Senate President Pro Tempore. Even if they declared all seats vacant, I actually laughed because Senator Win did not know that you cannot declare all seats vacant with only 12 votes,” he said.
Cayetano argued that while committee positions may be declared vacant with 12 votes, the positions of Senate president and Senate president pro tempore cannot.
He also dismissed criticism that his bloc's three-day absence meant they were refusing to work.
“Look at Bam Aquino's post. When [they] walked out, it's for the country. When we didn't show up, we're accused of not wanting to work,” he said.
“When they held session, they had 12 senators. They said they had a quorum, so what did they do? They adjourned sine die. [T]hat shows they're talking about power. We're talking about what is right,” he added.
Cayetano also criticized Gatchalian for accepting the role of acting Senate president.
“He's exercising all kinds of immaturity in our democracy. He agreed that 12 senators were enough. He agreed to become acting Senate president when the rules clearly state that you can only have an acting Senate president if the Senate president has died or if there is no Senate president,” he said.
He likewise questioned Gatchalian's coordination with Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Senate security matters.
“What image of the Senate are we projecting? For those who lived through martial law, do we want to bring back that image? It was a different time and different circumstances,” he said.
“[T]hey have to deal with it. I have to deal with it. I have to assert my authority as Senate president.”
Cayetano also appealed to Senate employees, saying they know who is telling the truth.
“It's between power and truth. The truth is, and all of you know this by heart, there are 24 senators. You need 13 for a quorum and for a majority,” he said.
Cayetano denied allegations that he was acting on behalf of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“First of all, Vice President Sara is not my boss,” he said.
He acknowledged being friends with Duterte but said they do not always agree politically.
“They say they have no issue with my impartiality. So why are they making these accusations? The point is, for their convenience, should the media, the Constitution, and the Senate bend backwards? I don't think so. I think they should follow the law,” he said.
Asked about Sen. Chiz Escudero's decision to attend Wednesday's session, Cayetano said: “I'm praying for him. I know his circumstances.”
He said every senator is facing personal challenges.
“You know what's hardest for me? [S]eeing a man cry. I'm a man too. In my entire life, I only saw my father cry twice — during the EDSA Revolution and one other time,” he said.
“When my father passed away and tears started falling from my eyes, my uncle told me, ‘You're the man of the house, you have to take charge.’”
“So when I see a fellow senator crying, facing cases, believing he is not guilty but being pressured to comply, that weighs heavily on me,” he added.
“I won't name names. I will be praying for him. I love him as a brother.”
“I know what Heart has gone through. I know he's a father whose child is asking what is happening. So I'm praying for him.”
Cayetano also revisited remarks made by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada earlier this week regarding alleged offers made to keep senators from leaving the majority bloc.
“Those people are in the Cabinet, offering him a deal that his cases would disappear as long as he did not leave,” Cayetano claimed.
He said a similar situation allegedly happened to Sen. Loren Legarda in February.
“These eleven senators have been meeting with Malacañang. What happened yesterday was coordinated. I'll stop there because it's already obvious,” he said.
“That's the problem. The President keeps getting the wrong information.”
