Resign, peers tell Cayetano, for ‘bad Senate leadership’

It must be humbling if not humiliating. Peers are hounding Alan Cayetano to give up his three-week long Senate presidency which he grabbed by coup d’etat.

Families of pre-martial law senators contrast Cayetano’s 13-member Majority with the venerable Alejandro Almendras, Jose Diokno, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Raul Manglapus, Sergio Osmeña Jr., Ambrosio Padilla, Emmanuel Pelaez, Soc Rodrigo, Jovito Salonga, Lorenzo Sumulong Sr., Lorenzo Tañada:

“When they died, they left this world with their honor intact, their names unsullied by plunder, untouched by corruption, unshadowed even by suspicion.

“But [Cayetano’s] Senate stands disgraced before the nation. [Most of] the Majority walk beneath the dark cloud of accusations so grave that in any decent republic they would compel shame, resignation or prosecution – for plunder, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, even crimes against human life. The Senate, the forge of our laws, has become a refuge for those who brazenly violate them.”

Former Senate presidents Franklin Drilon and Koko Pimentel, and ex-senator Richard Gordon, separately advise Cayetano to step down for causing public derision of the chamber. Former SPs Tito Sotto and Migz Zubiri, now with the Minority, resist Cayetano’s rule violations.

Ateneo Law 1997 classmates urge Cayetano to “pause and reflect” and ”avoid interpretations made for convenience and accommodation.”

The Ateneo Law student council derides Cayetano’s “commitment to impunity as a mockery of the school’s values. He fell short of the ethical leadership expected of him as an Atenean.”

In a rare show of unity, 152 alumni of opposing UP campus political parties Samasa and Tugon jointly call out Cayetano for “profound failure of judgment, leadership and responsibility.”

Evangelical Rev. Gus Lising, with Pastors Luigi Tabuena and Enteng Romano, gather signatories to an open letter entreating Cayetano:

“You often invoke the name of God in public life. You quote Scripture. You speak of prayer and surrender to God. But the name of the Lord must never be used to cover conduct that dishonors Him.

“The Bible is not a political prop. Prayer is not a performance. Scripture is not a shield for arrogance, deception, abuse of power or evasion of accountability.

“Jesus warned against those who honored God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him.”

All those came out after Cayetano on May 11 led 12 other pro-VP Sara Duterte senators to grab the Majority. The House was set to impeach Sara that day.

To muster the 13, Cayetano sneaked into the Senate Bato dela Rosa, who had been absent for six months since November 2025, eluding an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.

That same day Cayetano granted Bato Senate “protective custody.” It broke the Constitution, which exempts lawmakers from arrest while Congress is in session and if the offense is punishable by less than six years’ imprisonment. Bato is charged at the ICC with crimes against humanity, which a Philippine law punishes with 40 years imprisonment.

Cayetano then shamed the Senate sergeant-at-arms, a bemedaled Air Force retired general, into resigning. That enabled Bato to nominate as replacement his protégé, a retired police general like him.

Cayetano and Rodante Marcoleta tried to railroad a revision of Senate rules. They wanted to let absentees vote via teleconference. That’s allowed only in force majeure and national emergency, like pandemic.

Two nights later shots rang out at the Senate second floor. Cayetano livestreamed a false claim that “the Senate is under attack.”

It turned out that the new sergeant-at-arms confronted an NBI agent and a guard securing the GSIS side of the complex where priceless art masterpieces were displayed. The retired police general, already a civilian, and three aides fired 44 shots across the hallway at the lawman.

The shooting and Cayetano’s false report enabled Bato to escape from the Senate in the wee hours of Thursday, May 14. Majority-mate Robin Padilla aided the fugitive.

Cayetano then set VP Sara’s trial to commence on July 6. Instead of obeying the Constitution’s rule for the Senate to try the impeachment “forthwith,” the chamber will go on a month-long vacation after adjourning on June 5.

Cayetano gave to his senator-sister Pia Cayetano chairmanship of the powerful Blue Ribbon committee. BRC is to continue investigating the P1.7-trillion flood works scam that started in 2016 under president Rody Duterte up to 2025 under President Bongbong Marcos.

Named vice chairmen were Cayetano’s Majority-mates Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada. Both are linked to the flood works scandal. Estrada has been charged with plunder and bribery for it.

No member of the Minority has yet been named to the BRC. But it will probe the flood scam under a special sub-committee headed by Marcoleta and approved by Cayetano.

In October 2025 Cayetano challenged all national officials to resign. He wanted “radical honesty” to restore public trust in the wake of the flood works scandal. “This may be the only way to rebuild public trust in political institutions,” he posted on Facebook.

His brother Lino Cayetano, ex-congressman and mayor, agreed: “Let’s start with ourselves. Give up power.”

Alan Cayetano then clammed up.