Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Friday rejected insinuations that members of the Senate minority bloc received advance warning about Wednesday night’s shooting incident inside the Senate complex, calling such claims “gaslighting” and beneath the dignity of senators.
Speaking to reporters in Pasay City, Hontiveros pushed back against remarks made by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano suggesting that some senators may have been alerted ahead of the incident and advised to leave the Senate premises early.
Hontiveros said it was normal for senators to leave after plenary sessions adjourn, noting that lawmakers often have official and personal commitments outside the Senate.
She said she, Sen. Vicente Sotto III, and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian stayed in the plenary session until it was formally adjourned at 5:58 p.m. by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda.
“Lima po kaming tinapos ang buong session hanggang ma-adjourn,” Hontiveros said.
(Only five of us stayed until the session adjourned.)
She pointed out that aside from the three minority senators, only Legarda and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada from the majority bloc remained in the session hall at the time.
“Yung mga nagsasabi niyan, ni wala sila sa session,” she added.
(Those making those claims were not even in the session.)
Hontiveros said that after the session adjourned, she briefly returned to her office before leaving for the airport to catch a flight to Bacolod City for a conference.
“Anong gusto nila? Tapos na ang session, naka-upo lang kami diyan sa session hall?” she said.
(What did they expect? That we would stay seated in the session hall even after adjournment?)
Following the shooting incident, Cayetano claimed that some senators, including members of the minority bloc, supposedly received “advance warning” advising them to leave the Senate premises.
Sen. Imee Marcos also said she received information earlier that there could be “chaos” at the Senate that night.
Hontiveros, however, said those making such claims should be the ones explaining themselves.
“Ang mga nagsasabi niyan, actually sila yung pinaka may dapat ipaliwanag,” she said.
(Those making those claims are actually the ones who should explain.)
“So, gaslighting sila sa ganyang pang-iintriga which is beneath the dignity of senators,” she added.
(That kind of intrigue is gaslighting and is beneath the dignity of senators.)
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier also denied receiving any warning, saying he left the Senate after session adjournment to attend a family dinner.
“No one told us anything. I did not receive any warning,” Zubiri said.
Gatchalian likewise said leaving the Senate around 7 p.m. was part of his normal routine whenever sessions end early.