A group of alumni leaders from the activist organization SAMASA-Tugon has called for the resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano following the controversy surrounding Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s departure from Senate premises despite supposedly being under Senate protection.
In a strongly worded public statement, the group accused Sen. Cayetano of failing to exercise leadership and institutional responsibility during what it described as “one of the most embarrassing episodes in recent Senate history.”
The statement, titled “SAMASA-Tugon calls for the Resignation of Alan Peter Cayetano,” argued that the Senate under Cayetano’s leadership transformed “from a constitutional institution into a stage for political theater, confusion, and brinkmanship.”
The controversy stemmed from the highly publicized developments involving dela Rosa, who has been linked to a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the Duterte administration’s bloody anti-drug campaign.
According to the group, the Senate leadership voluntarily assumed responsibility over dela Rosa after repeatedly invoking the chamber’s institutional authority and prerogatives regarding his supposed protective custody. The statement argued that dela Rosa’s eventual disappearance from Senate premises represented a serious institutional failure.
“That failure rests primarily and singularly on Alan Peter,” the statement read, adding that institutions lose public trust when they appear willing to bend rules for powerful individuals.
The group also warned that incidents involving perceived special treatment for politically connected personalities weaken confidence in the rule of law and democratic institutions.
“Every time institutions appear willing to bend rules for the powerful, Filipinos lose even more faith that the law applies equally to everyone,” the group said.
SAMASA-Tugon further claimed that the Senate “cannot be turned into a personal political shield for allies trying to evade accountability,” while criticizing what it described as attempts to justify the incident rather than address its implications.
It also emphasized that public office requires “maturity, restraint, competence, and respect for institutions larger than oneself,” and argued that Cayetano should step down if he still possesses a sense of political responsibility.
The manifesto was signed by more than 150 individuals identified as SAMASA-Nagkaisang Tugon alumni, including former student activists, academics, professionals, and civic leaders. Pages three to five of the document contain the list of signatories.
The Senate has yet to issue an official response to the statement as of posting.
The incident involving dela Rosa has triggered intense political debate in recent days, with questions raised over Senate security, the handling of the senator’s supposed protective custody, and whether institutional protocols were properly followed amid the ICC-related developments.