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Cayetano to senator-judges: Let’s be ‘fair, careful’ in drawing conclusions from Duterte, Marcos family statements

Cayetano to senator-judges: Let’s be ‘fair, careful’ in drawing conclusions from Duterte, Marcos family statements
Cayetano to senator-judges: Let’s be ‘fair, careful’ in drawing conclusions from Duterte, Marcos family statements

Cayetano to senator-judges: Let’s be ‘fair, careful’ in drawing conclusions from Duterte, Marcos family statements

Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday urged fellow senator-judges to be “circumspect and careful” in making conclusions when assessing previous statements by members of both the Duterte and Marcos families that have been raised in the impeachment trial.

His manifestation came after former National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc testified that investigators traced the use of “Romanov” to Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.

This was when Mayor Duterte addressed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a rally in January 2024, saying: “From now on, before you go to bed, think of the Romanovs, think of Benito Mussolini and his wife, think of what happened to you in 1986.”

Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson said Lotoc’s answer led him to conclude that “Operation Romanov,” which the Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team had early on said was a plot against her, was actually a “threat to the First Family.”

But Cayetano emphasized that while it was fair for the investigation to mention Mayor Duterte’s remark because it was relevant, it is not proper to label it as a threat without first considering its context and possible meanings.

“If he (Mayor Duterte) was making that threat na ‘maro-Romanov kayo,’ then the Presidential Security Command would’ve filed a case against Baste,” the senator-judge said.

“In the same manner that we have to be fair to the First Family, we have to be fair also to Mayor Baste and to the Dutertes,” he added.

Cayetano said Mayor Duterte could have been making a “fair warning” by drawing a historical parallel between the Romanovs and the Marcoses, whose families faced different outcomes after losing power.

“I’m not close to VP Sara. I’m not close to Mayor Baste,” the senator-judge said. “But my reading ng sinabi ni Mayor Baste is, ‘Pag natulog ka sa gabi, remember the Romanovs.’”

“There’s a thin line between a warning and a threat,” he added.

Russia’s last ruling Romanov family lost power in 1917 during the Russian Revolution and were later executed. The Marcos family, meanwhile, went into exile after Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was ousted in 1986. They were able to return to the Philippines starting in 1991.

Cayetano also noted that it remained unclear whether or not Mayor Duterte’s earlier “Romanov” remark and the alleged “Operation Romanov” against the Vice President even referred to the same thing.

“For all we know, narinig ni Mayor Baste na sila ang iro-Romanov kaya binanggit niya pabalik. We don’t know,” Cayetano said.

“So let’s just be circumspect and careful from making conclusions,” he added.

Cayetano sa mga senator-judge: Maging patas at maingat sa paghusga sa mga pahayag ng pamilya Duterte at Marcos

Hinimok ni Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes ang kapwa senator-judges na maging patas at maingat sa pagbubuo ng konklusyon sa mga naunang pahayag ng mga miyembro ng pamilyang Duterte at Marcos na tinatalakay sa impeachment trial.

Ipinahayag ito ni Cayetano sa ikalimang araw ng impeachment trial, kung saan sinabi ng testigong si dating National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc na si Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte ang unang gumamit ng salitang “Romanov” noong Enero 2024, ilang buwan bago pa madikit ang salitang iyon sa umano’y banta sa buhay ni Bise Presidente Sara Duterte.

Base umano sa imbestigasyon ng ahensya, sinabi ni Duterte kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa isang rally: “From now on, before you go to bed, think of the Romanovs, think of Benito Mussolini and his wife, think of what happened to you in 1986.”

Kung gayon, sabi ni Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson, ang Operation Romanov ay hindi pala assassination threat sa Bise Presidente kundi “threat to the First Family.”

Pero giit ni Cayetano, dapat maging maingat ang mga senator-judge sa pagbuo ng ganoong konklusyon mula sa salita ni Mayor Duterte.

Aniya, tama lang na banggitin sa imbestigasyon ang pahayag ng Mayor dahil “relevant” ito sa kaso pero hindi ito pwedeng agad-agad tawaging “threat” nang hindi muna sinusuri ang konteksto at mga posibleng kahulugan nito.

“If he was making that threat na ‘maro-Romanov kayo,’ then the Presidential Security Command would’ve filed a case against Baste,” pahayag ni Cayetano.

“In the same manner that we have to be fair to the First Family, we have to be fair also to Mayor Baste and to the Dutertes,” dagdag niya.

Kung titingnan ang kasaysayan, naroon aniya ang posibilidad na nagbibigay lang ng “fair warning” si Mayor Duterte sa pamamagitan ng paghahambing sa pinagkaiba ng kinahinatnan ng pamilyang Romanov at mga Marcos.

“There’s a thin line between a warning and a threat,” punto niya.

“I’m not close to VP Sara. I’m not close to Mayor Baste,” aniya. “But my reading ng sinabi ni Mayor Baste is, ‘Pag natulog ka sa gabi, remember the Romanovs.’”

Ang mga Romanov ang huling imperial family na naghari noong Russian Revolution at kalauna’y pinatay matapos mapatalsik. Samantala, ang mga Marcos naman ay nagtungo sa exile sa Hawaii matapos mapatalsik noong 1986, at kalauna’y nakabalik pa sa Pilipinas.

Wika ni Cayetano, hindi pa rin naman malinaw kung iisang bagay lang ang tinutukoy ng naunang “Romanov” remark ni Baste at ng umano’y “Operation Romanov” laban sa Bise Presidente.

“For all we know, narinig ni Mayor Baste na sila ang iro-Romanov kaya binanggit niya pabalik. We don’t know,” sabi ni Cayetano.

“So let’s just be circumspect and careful from making conclusions,” dagdag niya.

Cayetano to senator-judges: Let’s be ‘fair, careful’ in drawing conclusions from Duterte, Marcos family statements

Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday urged fellow senator-judges to be “circumspect and careful” in making conclusions when assessing previous statements by members of both the Duterte and Marcos families that have been raised in the impeachment trial.

His manifestation came after former National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc testified that investigators traced the use of “Romanov” to Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.

This was when Mayor Duterte addressed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a rally in January 2024, saying: “From now on, before you go to bed, think of the Romanovs, think of Benito Mussolini and his wife, think of what happened to you in 1986.”

Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson said Lotoc’s answer led him to conclude that “Operation Romanov,” which the Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team had early on said was a plot against her, was actually a “threat to the First Family.”

But Cayetano emphasized that while it was fair for the investigation to mention Mayor Duterte’s remark because it was relevant, it is not proper to label it as a threat without first considering its context and possible meanings.

“If he (Mayor Duterte) was making that threat na ‘maro-Romanov kayo,’ then the Presidential Security Command would’ve filed a case against Baste,” the senator-judge said.

“In the same manner that we have to be fair to the First Family, we have to be fair also to Mayor Baste and to the Dutertes,” he added.

Cayetano said Mayor Duterte could have been making a “fair warning” by drawing a historical parallel between the Romanovs and the Marcoses, whose families faced different outcomes after losing power.

“I’m not close to VP Sara. I’m not close to Mayor Baste,” the senator-judge said. “But my reading ng sinabi ni Mayor Baste is, ‘Pag natulog ka sa gabi, remember the Romanovs.’”

“There’s a thin line between a warning and a threat,” he added.

Russia’s last ruling Romanov family lost power in 1917 during the Russian Revolution and were later executed. The Marcos family, meanwhile, went into exile after Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was ousted in 1986. They were able to return to the Philippines starting in 1991.

Cayetano also noted that it remained unclear whether or not Mayor Duterte’s earlier “Romanov” remark and the alleged “Operation Romanov” against the Vice President even referred to the same thing.

“For all we know, narinig ni Mayor Baste na sila ang iro-Romanov kaya binanggit niya pabalik. We don’t know,” Cayetano said.

“So let’s just be circumspect and careful from making conclusions,” he added.

Cayetano sa mga senator-judge: Maging patas at maingat sa paghusga sa mga pahayag ng pamilya Duterte at Marcos

Hinimok ni Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Martes ang kapwa senator-judges na maging patas at maingat sa pagbubuo ng konklusyon sa mga naunang pahayag ng mga miyembro ng pamilyang Duterte at Marcos na tinatalakay sa impeachment trial.

Ipinahayag ito ni Cayetano sa ikalimang araw ng impeachment trial, kung saan sinabi ng testigong si dating National Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division chief Jeremy Lotoc na si Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte ang unang gumamit ng salitang “Romanov” noong Enero 2024, ilang buwan bago pa madikit ang salitang iyon sa umano’y banta sa buhay ni Bise Presidente Sara Duterte.

Base umano sa imbestigasyon ng ahensya, sinabi ni Duterte kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa isang rally: “From now on, before you go to bed, think of the Romanovs, think of Benito Mussolini and his wife, think of what happened to you in 1986.”

Kung gayon, sabi ni Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson, ang Operation Romanov ay hindi pala assassination threat sa Bise Presidente kundi “threat to the First Family.”

Pero giit ni Cayetano, dapat maging maingat ang mga senator-judge sa pagbuo ng ganoong konklusyon mula sa salita ni Mayor Duterte.

Aniya, tama lang na banggitin sa imbestigasyon ang pahayag ng Mayor dahil “relevant” ito sa kaso pero hindi ito pwedeng agad-agad tawaging “threat” nang hindi muna sinusuri ang konteksto at mga posibleng kahulugan nito.

“If he was making that threat na ‘maro-Romanov kayo,’ then the Presidential Security Command would’ve filed a case against Baste,” pahayag ni Cayetano.

“In the same manner that we have to be fair to the First Family, we have to be fair also to Mayor Baste and to the Dutertes,” dagdag niya.

Kung titingnan ang kasaysayan, naroon aniya ang posibilidad na nagbibigay lang ng “fair warning” si Mayor Duterte sa pamamagitan ng paghahambing sa pinagkaiba ng kinahinatnan ng pamilyang Romanov at mga Marcos.

“There’s a thin line between a warning and a threat,” punto niya.

“I’m not close to VP Sara. I’m not close to Mayor Baste,” aniya. “But my reading ng sinabi ni Mayor Baste is, ‘Pag natulog ka sa gabi, remember the Romanovs.’”

Ang mga Romanov ang huling imperial family na naghari noong Russian Revolution at kalauna’y pinatay matapos mapatalsik. Samantala, ang mga Marcos naman ay nagtungo sa exile sa Hawaii matapos mapatalsik noong 1986, at kalauna’y nakabalik pa sa Pilipinas.

Wika ni Cayetano, hindi pa rin naman malinaw kung iisang bagay lang ang tinutukoy ng naunang “Romanov” remark ni Baste at ng umano’y “Operation Romanov” laban sa Bise Presidente.

“For all we know, narinig ni Mayor Baste na sila ang iro-Romanov kaya binanggit niya pabalik. We don’t know,” sabi ni Cayetano.

“So let’s just be circumspect and careful from making conclusions,” dagdag niya.

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