Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday issued a lengthy statement hours before a special session of Congress called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which could lead to a leadership change in the Senate.
He opened his post with a Bible verse from Micah 6:8, saying he was grateful for what he described as a temporary mandate.
“Let me begin by saying that I am grateful to GOD, who in HIS providence saw fit to entrust me, for a season, with the burden of this office,” Cayetano said.
He said he never treated the post as a prize, but as a responsibility in public service.
When his bloc became the majority in May, he said they were told they would be replaced within a week.
“It is not how long you live, but what you do with the life you are given, that counts,” he said, adding he would rather hold office briefly and use it meaningfully than hold it longer without purpose.
Cayetano thanked allies who stood with their group, including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, saying they chose principle over pressure.
He also addressed a colleague who shifted alignment to the emerging majority, saying he understood the circumstances.
“We are not enemies — only colleagues, brothers caught in a moment larger than us all,” he said.
Cayetano said the core issue was not the Senate leadership row but alleged corruption in flood-control projects, which he said would continue to be pursued.
He said the Senate’s work should focus on public concerns such as basic services and accountability, and criticized the legislative agenda, saying only a few minor measures were set for passage while priority bills remained pending.
“If we are serious about working, then let us pass serious bills,” he said.
On the leadership issue, Cayetano defended the Senate’s independence and reiterated his position that the June 3 leadership change was “done without the quorum the Constitution requires, and was, void.”
He said the Senate is a key pillar of democracy and warned against executive interference in its internal affairs.
Cayetano, however, said he would not block the upcoming leadership vote.
“I will not stand in the way of that vote. No leadership in a democracy is ever permanent; every office we hold is a loan, never a possession,” he said.
He closed by saying it had been an honor to serve as Senate President and vowed to continue his advocacy.
“I may leave the position of SP, but I am honored to still be your PS — your Public Servant,” he said.
