Senator Ping Lacson on Sunday doubled down on his tirades against Senate President Alan Cayetano, suggesting that he is weaponizing the Internet to spout unfounded accusations against his opponents in an attempt to regain relevance following his supposed ouster last week. 

Lacson was referring to Cayetano’s penchant for Facebook livestreaming, a tool he used to air his frustrations over the recent leadership row in the Senate, after boycotting three sessions since 1 June, along with his allies. 

“When you’re strong on the law, pound the law. When you’re strong on the facts, pound the facts. When you’re weak on both, mag-Facebook live ka na lang,” Lacson said on X, formerly Twitter. 

Lacson’s tirades follow Cayetano’s damning accusations that he connived with Malacañang to shield his allies from flood control probe during his stint as chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

Cayetano alleged that Lacson weaponized the powerful committee to pursue corruption charges against Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva, and Chiz Escudero, who are accused of involvement in the flood-control kickback scheme.

The three were initially members of the minority bloc under Cayetano prior to the 11 May coup that ousted Senator Tito Sotto from the chamber’s top post in favor of Cayetano. 

Cayetano and allies have long claimed that Lacson and the majority exploited the BRC to pressure their colleagues to shift allegiance in an alleged exchange of shielding them from possible filing of charges and arrest. 

Cayetano: Lacson ‘shielding’ higher-ups

Cayetano accused Lacson of selective prosecution, while allegedly covering up and deliberately ignoring leads pointing to the culpability of those in Malacanang. 

Lacson took offense at the remarks of Cayetano, whom he repeatedly ridiculed as “disgraced,” and who has not accepted defeat. 

In disputing Cayetano’s claims, Lacson argued that the Ombudsman’s findings, which led to the filing of cases at the Sandiganbayan, only showed that the BRC’s progress report released under his watch was legitimate. 

The report in question recommends that high-profile personalities, allegedly including Estrada, Villanueva, and Escudero, be subjected to further probe for possible filing of plunder, direct bribery, and malversation charges. 

The report, however, failed to reach plenary for sponsorship and deliberations due to a lack of required signatures.

Escudero broke from Cayetano’s majority bloc on Wednesday, which allowed Sotto and allies to install Senator Win Gatchalian as acting Senate president with only a 12-member quorum. 

In a podcast released on Sunday, Escudero denied that he was rewarded or promised favors by Gatchalian in exchange for shifting allegiance. 

“I have decided to end the lack of session in the Senate…If we had not continued the session [on Wednesday], we would have violated that provision of the Constitution,” Escudero said in Filipino. 

Furthermore, he pointed out that Malacañang’s position backing Gatchalian’s appointment had nothing to do with his decision to cross party lines.

The BRC, now headed by Senator Erwin Tulfo, will proceed with the flood control probe on Monday. 

Tulfo summoned the 18 “bodyguards” of former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co for a face-off after they implicated him in the “maleta scheme” during an “unauthorized” probe last week convened by the Cayetano-led bloc. 

Cayetano cautions ’18 Marines’ from attending hearing

In a Facebook post on Sunday, former lawmaker Mike Defensor revealed that he received a letter from Cayetano’s office warning that Monday’s hearing was not authorized by his leadership.

Thus, “we cannot assure them that any proceeding conducted outside the authority of the duly designated chairpersons will afford the procedural safeguards and protection accorded to witnesses.” 

Defensor, however, did not explicitly confirm whether they would allow the “bodyguards” to testify to the Tulfo-led flood control probe.

Defensor is a supporter of the group, who identified themselves as former “Marines,” and so-called “bagmen” of Co. 

He admitted that he extended financial assistance to them but denied that he bribed them P5 million each to make the explosive accusations.

Several groups, including a group of lawyers

The “bodyguards” have been facing a wave of lawsuits from several groups, including a group of lawyers, over the alleged fabrication of testimony at an illegitimate hearing.

Gatchalian warned that they are not covered by parliamentary immunity because the proceedings were not authorized by the Senate.