Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Sunday urged Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to stop clinging to the Senate presidency and accept that the majority, including Malacañang, already recognizes the chamber’s leadership under acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
In a radio interview, Castro said Malacañang, the House of Representatives, and several legal luminaries, including members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), have recognized the new Senate leadership under Gatchalian.
She said former senators and Senate Presidents also acknowledged the validity of the June 3 proceedings that led to Gatchalian’s election as acting Senate President and Senate President pro tempore.
“So huwag na po niyang ipilit kasi parang wala na po kumikilala sa kanyang liberato (So, he should stop insisting because it seems like no one recognizes his leadership),” she said.
Castro said members of the public have also been calling on Cayetano to stop holding on to the Senate presidency.
“Marami po nagsasabi, huwag naman kapit-tuko sa puwesto. Ang ngayon po, ang kailangan ng bayan ay ang totoong leader, totoong public servant (Many are saying, not to be clingy to one’s position. What the people need now is a true leader, a true public servant),” she said.
“Hindi sisilbihan ang sarili; hindi sisilbihan ang interes ng mga kaalyado. So, siguro ngayon iyung tamang panahon na magpakabayani po (Not someone who serves himself, not someone who serves the interests of his allies. So, maybe now is the right time to be patriotic),” she added.
Castro also reiterated that neither Malacañang nor President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had a hand in the developments in the Senate.
She said that if Marcos had control over the Senate, then the shooting incident, the escape of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, and the walkouts, boycotts, and suspension of sessions would not have happened.
Asked about reports that the new majority senators were seen in Malacañang, Castro said she had no such information, adding that it could be part of a narrative that Cayetano’s camp wants to spread to the public.
She also urged the public to be more discerning and not to believe everything coming from Cayetano.