The Senate opposition bloc, except for Senator Camille Villar, boycotted President Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, in protest of the administration’s so-called political persecution against several of their colleagues. 

Minority Leader Alan Cayetano said he would rather watch the SONA on TV rather than witness it in person at the Batasang Pambansa, the seat of the House of Representatives dominated by Marcos’ allies.

Like Cayetano, his sister Senator Pia Cayetano, as well as Senator Imee Marcos, were clad in black as a political statement fiercely opposing the government’s policies and actions against the staunchest critics of the administration, the majority of whom are allied to their bloc.

Aside from the Cayetano siblings and Senator Marcos, also no-show at the SONA were Senators Loren Legarda, Robin Padilla, Bong Go, and Mark Villar.

Senators Tito Sotto, Ping Lacson and Bam Aquino, though they belong to the majority bloc, also skipped the SONA.

“I’ll just listen [to the SONA]. It’s just that we feel aggrieved because the minority are being detained and charged. That’s all. I just don’t think I can take it. It sits wrong with me,” Senator Marcos told reporters in an ambush.

Members of the Senate minority bloc shrank from 11 to nine with the arrest of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta on plunder charges. At the same time, Senator Bato dela Rosa’s remains in hiding due to an International Criminal Court warrant.

The Senate minority has long derided the move as political harassment or a systematic effort to intimidate the opposition and discourage them from calling for a transparent investigation into the flood control corruption scheme, where several lawmakers allied with the President are implicated.

Alan is also facing a spate of criminal charges, involving, among others, the alleged “ghost” projects in his bailiwick in Taguig. While no formal charges have been filed against him over the flood control projects, Senator Ping Lacson, who is leading the Taguig probe, had already hinted that the case will bypass the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and be sent directly to the Ombudsman to expedite the case buildup and issuance of a warrant against Cayetano. 

The two have been locked in a rhetorical duel involving the flood control project investigation, with Cayetano accusing Lacson—former BRC chair—and his allies in the majority of derailing the BRC’s flood control probe to shield the administration and lawmakers allied with the President. 

In a chance interview hours before the SONA, Cayetano urged Lacson to meticulously review the evidence supplied by his informants, warning that it might come from disgruntled officials merely retaliating against him. 

“We’ve clashed with many people in Taguig, and many were removed from their posts, whether in the local government, the national government, or contractors. So, they might be the ones lodging the complaints. They should just verify the information closely,” he said. 

The former Senate leader also reiterated his call to Lacson to refrain from singling out Taguig, which he argued remains flood-free compared to other cities and provinces despite receiving substantial budget in recent years.

Nonetheless, Cayetano vowed that he would confront Lacson’s allegations head-on, maintaining that there are “ghost” flood control projects in Taguig.