No Senate clearance needed for Alan’s ‘personal’ Singapore trip—Gatchalian

Senate President Win Gatchalian confirmed Thursday that Senator Alan Cayetano did not file a leave of absence amid his Singapore trip, though he noted that personal travel does not require one or any clearance from the upper chamber.

“For personal trips, there is no need to seek permission from the Senate...There is no policy requiring one to ask for permission for a personal trip,” he told reporters in an ambush interview.

Only official business requires travel authority and official clearance from the Senate, especially if the trip entails government funding, Gatchalian added.

Cayetano's office refused to comment further on the lawmaker’s airport photos making rounds on social media, saying the reason for the trip abroad is “personal.”

Cayetano’s trip abroad sparked buzz as speculation swirled that charges are imminent against him over alleged irregularities in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, which he oversaw as chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC).

The Bureau of Immigration confirmed that the senator took a flight to Singapore with his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, late Wednesday. Social media posts also alleged that his wife, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, left Manila for Singapore on Thursday morning.

Senator Ping Lacson, who has been at odds with Alan, said the departure of the Cayetano siblings is “not an issue” as of now, provided that the trip involves medical concerns.

“There have not been developments, yet that would warrant any suspicion against him,” he told reporters in Filipino. “If the session starts (next week) and he still hasn't returned, that’s when we should be concerned.”

Unless the Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation issue a subpoena, Lacson pointed out that there is no immediate cause for concern regarding Cayetano’s trip abroad.

Since the trip is private, Gatchalian said Cayetano did not give any word if he will return in time for the impeachment trial next week.

Alan, a staunch critic of the administration, is currently subjected to a parallel probe by the Ombudsman and the NBI.

The Ombudsman has already initiated a fact-finding inquiry stemming from the case studies filed by Lacson, linking Alan to alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Taguig and illegal reclamation there.

The NBI, meanwhile, revived a probe looking into billions of public funds earmarked for the 2019 SEA Games sports complex under Cayetano’s watch as noting that while Cayetano acted as chairperson, his name did not explicitly appear as a registered trustee in the corporate papers of the foundation head.

NBI investigators are reportedly facing challenges in establishing a direct paper trail linking Cayetano to the alleged irregularities, as his name did not appear as a registered trustee in the PHISGOC's corporate papers.

The 2019 SEAG drew backlash over allegations of an overpriced cauldron, which cost P50 million. Cayetano denied profiting from the project.

Parallel probes were initially launched to scrutinize the spending, although Cayetano was later cleared of corruption allegations by former president Rodrigo Duterte.