Cayetano brands gov't scheme 'KKK'

From Egypt to EDSA

Cayetano opened his remarks by drawing a parallel between the biblical story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and the Philippines' political situation.

He recalled a teaching often shared by priests and pastors that although the Israelites were freed from slavery, they still carried a "slave mentality."

"The Israelites were out of Egypt, but Egypt was still in them," he said.

Cayetano likened this to the Philippines after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

"After EDSA, we said, 'Never again.' We said we would never allow our freedom to be taken away again. But in 2022, the question became whether we would bring back a Marcos," he said.

He added that despite years of economic growth under the administrations of former presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte, Filipinos should ask themselves whether they had truly broken free from what he called "slavery to corruption and poverty."

'Kuyog, Kaso, Kulong'

Cayetano alleged that government critics are first subjected to coordinated attacks before facing legal action.

"If you become part of the opposition and speak out, they will first swarm you — whether through trolls, the NBI or relevant agencies. If that doesn't work, they file cases against you. [T]he third step is to put you in jail," he said.

Without naming specific individuals, Cayetano rejected claims that the government was not intimidating its critics.

"If you think you can keep getting away with it and you think that the Filipino people are stupid, that's your opinion," he said.

Cayetano also described senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as former congressman Mike Defensor, as "political prisoners," claiming they were being jailed not because of the merits of their cases but because of their conscience.

He further alleged that agencies such as the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Ombudsman were being used for political purposes.

His own 'KKK'

Cayetano said the country should instead focus on truth, the Constitution and fighting corruption.

He said the pursuit of truth should extend to issues such as the impeachment trial, the Senate's flood control investigation, criminal complaints, the West Philippine Sea dispute and the country's relations with China and the United States.

Calling the Constitution the country's guiding set of rules, Cayetano warned against what he described as selective interpretations of the law.

"No society can progress without rules, and those rules must be fair and just. Our rules are found in the Constitution. But what we see today is an effort to bend the law, [b]end the Constitution based on whatever interpretation is convenient."

He argued that weakening the rule of law inevitably fuels corruption.

"When you bend the law, it promotes corruption."

While saying he also wants the impeachment proceedings to conclude, Cayetano stressed that the process should be allowed to run its course because it is a constitutional trial.

Questions over subpoena timing

Cayetano also questioned the timing of the Senate impeachment court's planned vote on Monday on whether to grant the House prosecution panel's request to subpoena the tax records, bank accounts and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

He argued that the vote should instead be held on Wednesday, saying senators were still discussing whether the request met the legal standards required for a subpoena.

"The problem is we're still discussing whether it's a fishing expedition or whether it passes the test of being definite and specific in the documents being requested," Cayetano said.

He maintained that financial records have played a significant role in previous impeachment cases, including those involving former president Joseph Estrada and former Chief Justice Renato Corona.

At the same time, Cayetano cautioned against applying different standards to public officials, pointing to Senator Erwin Tulfo's Statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

"They say, 'If we're after the truth, then just release everything.' But many people raised their eyebrows when Senator Erwin said the P400 million in his SALN was more or less what he earned from the media," Cayetano said.

Cayetano questioned the claim, saying he had never known anyone in the media industry — including veteran broadcaster Jay Sonza — to have earned that amount.

"Can we now summon Senator Erwin's BIR records? Can we ask for his AMLC records and bank records?" he asked.

He also pointed to Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson's statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), which Cayetano said appeared to have doubled.

He noted that Lacson had attributed the increase in his declared assets to his business interests.

"We gave him the chance to explain, and he explained even no one asked. The question now is: Do we immediately seek his AMLC records, BIR records and bank records, or do we first allow him to explain?"

Daily Tribune