Former members of rival student political groups from the University of the Philippines have joined forces to call for the resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano over the recent controversy surrounding Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s supposed “protective custody” in the Senate.
In a joint statement, the coalition composed of Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (SAMASA) and Nagkaisang Tugon described Cayetano’s actions as a “grave failure of leadership, judgment, and institutional responsibility.”
The coalition said the seriousness of the issue pushed former members of both organizations to set aside decades of political rivalry in defense of democratic institutions and accountability.
“What makes this especially significant is that this call now includes members of Nagkaisang Tugon itself — the very student political formation under which Alan Peter Cayetano once served as a University Student Councilor,” the group said.
“When even one’s own political roots and former allies publicly repudiate one’s leadership, it reflects a profound belief that institutional and democratic boundaries have been dangerously crossed,” it added.
According to the coalition, the issue goes beyond ideology or partisan politics and instead centers on what it described as Cayetano’s misuse of Senate authority during the dela Rosa controversy.
“Under his watch, the Senate transformed itself from a constitutional institution into a stage for political theater, confusion, and brinkmanship,” the coalition said.
The group also criticized the handling of the incident, citing “conflicting statements, armed tension, warning shots, and the eventual disappearance of the very person supposedly under Senate ‘protective custody.’”
“You cannot invoke the Senate’s institutional powers to shield someone from arrest, insist that you are responsible for his custody and safety, and then evade accountability when that person disappears,” the coalition said.
The coalition urged Cayetano to resign, saying public office requires “maturity, restraint, competence, and respect for institutions larger than oneself.”