Sen. Panfilo Lacson has praised past Senate leadership transitions as examples of statesmanship, while sharply criticizing Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano for allegedly clinging to power and contributing to legislative paralysis.
“Statesman all, except one. I’ve seen the ‘changing of the guard’ in the Senate many, many times. From Franklin Drilon to Manny Villar in 2006, Manny Villar to Juan Ponce Enrile in 2008, Koko Pimentel to Tito Sotto in 2018, Chiz Escudero to Tito in September 2025, Tito to Alan Cayetano in May 2026, finally to Sherwin Gatchalian on June 17, 2026. Save for the last one, everyone else relinquished their posts with exemplary statesmanship and professionalism,” Lacson said on X.
Cayetano was elected Senate President on May 11 after securing enough votes following the sudden appearance of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who has been in hiding since November last year.
Lacson said that during Cayetano’s 28-day tenure, the Senate suffered an estimated ₱700 million loss in productivity, citing a lack of legislative output and a boycott of plenary sessions from June 1 to 3.
The deadlock ended on June 3 when 12 senators convened and declared all leadership posts vacant, paving the way for the election of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President.
Gatchalian was later formally elected Senate President during a June 17 special session after Sen. Joel Villanueva attended, allowing the chamber to reach the required 13 votes.
Even after the leadership transition, Cayetano continued to criticize members of the majority bloc in Facebook livestreams.