Senator Erwin Tulfo has apologized for threatening to have members of the Cayetano bloc arrested and forcibly removed if they held another disputed Senate hearing, walking back one of the sharpest remarks yet in the chamber’s escalating leadership feud.
Tulfo issued the apology on Sunday, June 7, two days after he warned in a Friday interview that he would order the arrest of senators who continued to conduct what he described as unauthorized proceedings. He also said he would drag Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano “by the collar” if another “fake” hearing was held.
“I sincerely apologize to my colleagues for my aggressive remarks regarding the arrest, manhandling, and dragging of Senator Cayetano and other individuals out of the session or plenary hall,” Tulfo said in a statement.
He admitted that the language he used was inappropriate and below the standard expected of a public official.
“This is not how an official, much less a senator, should behave,” he said.
Tulfo said his remarks were driven by frustration over the continuing Senate impasse, which has delayed legislative work and deepened divisions inside the chamber. The dispute has split senators between those aligned with Cayetano and those recognizing the leadership of Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian.
The conflict intensified after the Senate failed to convene for two days, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to urge senators to return to work. On June 3, senators opposed to Cayetano were able to establish a quorum after one member of the rival bloc appeared on the floor, allowing them to reorganize the chamber and recognize Gatchalian as acting Senate President. Cayetano rejected the move and insisted he remained the legitimate Senate President.
The leadership row also comes at a politically sensitive time, with the Senate expected to act as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The chamber has also been dealing with disputes over committee control, official proceedings, and the authority to conduct hearings amid competing claims of Senate leadership.
In his apology, Tulfo maintained that his concern was to stop further delays and restore order in the Senate, but acknowledged that his threat to have colleagues arrested went too far.
He also apologized to the public for the Senate’s failure to pass pending measures before the session adjourned, saying Filipinos deserved a functioning chamber capable of acting on urgent legislation.
The apology may have softened Tulfo’s earlier threat, but it did not end the broader controversy. The Senate remains under pressure to settle its leadership dispute, clarify which proceedings are valid, and resume work amid growing public scrutiny over what has become a highly visible institutional crisis.