Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday questioned the standing of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, saying key institutions and personalities do not recognize him as Senate president.
Lacson made the remark as he criticized Cayetano’s frequent use of Facebook Live, including in discussing Senate matters, saying it only showed his weakness on both the law and the facts.
He also dismissed Cayetano’s latest allegation that Lacson had conspired with Malacañang to pin the flood control scandal on certain personalities while supposedly protecting others.
“The Executive Department, House of Representatives, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, law deans, law professors, former Senate presidents, and many others do not recognize Senate Alan Cayetano as the President of the Senate. So, what is he?” Lacson said on X.
“When your strong on the law, pound on the law. When you’re strong on the facts, pound on the facts. When you’re weak on both — mag Facebook Live ka na lang (just go on Facebook Live),” he added.
Lacson also brushed aside Cayetano’s claim during a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday night that he selectively implicated some personalities and covered up for others in the flood control projects controversy.
“Lie pa more kung saan siya masaya (He can tell more lies whatever makes him happy… The fact that the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan have already validated the Blue Ribbon Committee’s recommendations belies Cayetano’s accusations,” he added.
Lacson also warned acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian about Cayetano’s tactics should he agree to meet with him.
“Sun Tzu’s Art of War: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory you will also suffer defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle,” he said in another post on X.
Lacson said he was confident that Gatchalian knows how to handle Cayetano should a meeting take place.
“I’ll offer you a solution, Sen. Win, but alongside another line saying ‘Imagine that, the problem wants to offer a solution’,” he said.
Lacson said Gatchalian should already be familiar with what he described as Cayetano’s deviousness, which he said was displayed last May 11 when Cayetano seized the Senate presidency by taking advantage of fellow senators such as Sen. Ronald dela Rosa to secure the 13 votes needed to replace Sotto.