Sen. Raffy Tulfo on Monday urged Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to reconsider a controversial motion that would allow senators to participate remotely in plenary proceedings, saying the Senate is already facing public ridicule and deep internal tension.
Tulfo said Cayetano should think carefully about whether to continue backing the motion of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, which triggered heated debates last week and prompted the 11-member minority bloc to walk out.
“Pero siguro naman mag-isip-isip naman siguro si SP Alan Peter Cayetano. Sa ngayon, dapang-dapa na kami. Ang gusto niya ba masyadong sobrang dapa at lulubog na kami sa lupa? ’Yung mga tao pinagtatawanan na kami, sobra na ang bastusang nangyayari ngayon sa Senado,” Tulfo said in an interview with dzBB.
He said several majority senators appeared uncomfortable during the plenary debates, suggesting that not all of them supported what was happening on the floor.
“Tingnan mo, meron doon tahimik lang, ’di umiimik. Eh ’di ibig sabihin ’di sila sang-ayon sa mga nangyayari,” Tulfo said.
“Ibig sabihin ilan lang doon ang maingay at ’yung mga maingay na ’yun, ’di kontrolado ni Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano,” he added.
Tulfo said the turmoil has strengthened the minority bloc’s desire to regain control of the Senate leadership.
He also linked the May 11 change in Senate leadership to the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying control of the majority could affect how evidence would be handled in the proceedings.
“Gusto namin, ako personally, mapunta sa amin ang majority. The big question is why? Para kung sa amin majority, malalatag namin nang maayos ang mga ebidensiya na available diyan,” Tulfo said.
He claimed that if the current majority remains in control, evidence from the prosecution could be blocked or challenged during the impeachment process.
“Kasi kung sila, malamang palagi nilang kokontrahin, strike down, para ’di malabas ng prosecution ang mga ebidensiya. Pero kapag kami, ilalabas namin lahat ng ebidensiyang available,” he said.
Tulfo said the full presentation of evidence could influence how senator-judges view the case.
“That will sway the senators, ’yung kanilang thinking pag nalatag na nang maayos ang ebidensiya,” he added.
Tulfo also questioned the creation of a Blue Ribbon subcommittee under Marcoleta to resume the Senate inquiry into the flood-control projects controversy.
Cayetano earlier said the subcommittee would resume the probe on Thursday, June 4.
“Bakit kailangan pa ng subcommittee? Sa tingin ba ni Sen. Marcoleta, hindi able and capable si Sen. Pia, being a lawyer, para ma-handle ang imbestigasyon ng BRC?” Tulfo said.
He asked whether Marcoleta had doubts about Sen. Pia Cayetano’s ability to lead the investigation or whether he wanted to take over the hearing as presiding officer.
Tulfo said that if he were in Pia Cayetano’s position, he would be disappointed by Marcoleta’s move, which he described as an apparent attempt to take control of the committee through a subcommittee.
Marcoleta was the first Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson in the 20th Congress before he was replaced by Sen. Panfilo Lacson after a Senate leadership change in September last year.