Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday criticized members of the Senate minority bloc for their alleged silence after shots were fired inside the Senate building on Wednesday night.
In a Facebook livestream, Cayetano said he found it unusual that some senators appeared nonchalant despite what he described as a serious security incident inside the chamber’s premises.
He said senators would normally check on each other even after minor accidents, but claimed the minority bloc was nowhere to be heard from when the shooting happened.
“First time nangyari ito sa Senate. Usually, nauntog lang ang isang senador, nadapa, nandiyan na iyong 24 to see how you are. Usually kapag may threat sa Senate, pupunta na diyan lahat to see how you are,” Cayetano said.
“But nakita naman po ninyo, nawala na parang bula ang buong minority. Wala kaming narinig hanggang mga 10, 10:30 pm, noong sinabi ni Sen. Camille na we’re okay, doon lang nagparamdam iyong iba,” he added.
He accused the minority of later joining a narrative that the Senate had descended into chaos since he took over the Senate presidency. He rejected this, saying the Senate was only defending itself from what he described as an intrusion by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents.
“Kayo po sa minority, mas importante sa inyo ang 2028? Mas importante sa inyo ang Senate presidency kaysa sa buhay ng mga kasamahan ninyo?” Cayetano said.
He said some senators appeared more focused on political maneuvering than on the safety of their colleagues.
“If there’s a loose cannon, there is also such a person as purely politically minded,” Cayetano said, referring to those he accused of using the incident to push a political narrative against his leadership.
Cayetano also questioned why the change in Senate leadership was being portrayed as the cause of disorder in the chamber.
“Why? Kailan naging crime ang magpalit ng Senate president?” he said.
The Senate President pointed to former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, saying Sotto was still leading the chamber on Monday when NBI agents were allegedly allowed to enter Senate premises to serve an arrest warrant on Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Cayetano also blamed NBI Director Melvin Matibag for deploying NBI personnel at the Government Service Insurance System compound, which he said led to the shooting incident inside the Senate building on Wednesday night.
He maintained that the Senate remains peaceful, but said some groups appeared intent on making the institution look chaotic.
The shooting incident has intensified political tensions in the chamber, coming just days after Cayetano replaced Sotto as Senate President and as the Senate prepares to convene as an impeachment court.