Lacson hopes Cayetano rants don't end in 'meltdown'

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday expressed concern over former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano's recent Facebook Live tirades, saying he hopes the increasingly personal attacks do not escalate into a full-blown meltdown.

Lacson described Cayetano's latest allegations against him and members of the Senate majority bloc as baseless and reflective of what he called a "quicksand mentality."

"Kawawa naman. Kung anu-ano na sinasabi. Parang malapit nang bumigay. Sana hindi matuluyang mag-meltdown. Ipagdasal natin na huwag makaisip magpatiwakal," Lacson said in a post on X.

During a Facebook Live broadcast on Friday, Cayetano referred to Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Raffy Tulfo as "lapdogs" of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He also called Sen. Erwin Tulfo a "lapdog" of Lacson and described the veteran lawmaker as a "dog" that carries out orders.

Responding to the remark, Lacson replied with a jab of his own.

"ASO? I WILL NEVER ADMIT THAT. Pero, siya — Kuya Ping ang tawag niya sa akin — matagal na… SELF-ADMISSION yata ang tawag dun," he said.

Lacson also recalled supporting Cayetano during the 2007 midterm elections under the Genuine Opposition slate, when Cayetano faced confusion caused by a nuisance candidate using the nickname "Peter."

The senator further criticized Cayetano's recent marathon Facebook Live sessions defending his 28-day stint as Senate president, claiming they reflected a "quicksand mentality."

He argued that the Senate produced no legislative output during Cayetano's brief leadership while spending roughly ₱25 million a day in operating costs, which he estimated amounted to around ₱700 million over the period.

Cayetano has disputed Lacson's computation, calling it "intellectual dishonesty" and arguing that the Senate's operating expenses would have been incurred regardless of who occupied the Senate presidency.