SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:00:01) Thank you for being here today. Despite the unprecedented attack against the Senate last night, I will address all other issues in an hour when I get all the official reports. I’m waiting from the report, from the PNP, from the side of the investigation, ni Sec. Jonvic at saka ni Chief PNP Nartatez.
(0:00:25) I will discuss with you muna yung receipt ng articles of impeachment. I just want to address one issue. So may umiikot sa internet na cinonfirm daw ng PNP yung statement daw ni Chief of Staff Bronner that it was my security guards lang daw ang nagpaputok. That’s fake news.
(0:00:49) Since last night, when Sec. Jonvic came here, we’ve been hearing conspiracy theories from both sides. One side, that it’s the government that attacked, and the president called me, President Bongbong Marcos, and assured me it wasn’t government. Okay? But I told him our concerns about the NBI.
(0:01:10) So, and I told him, I thanked the president for the immediate call. I informed him that we’re safe at that point in time. And I informed him of the inconsistencies ng statement ng NBI. But I told him I agreed with Sec. Jonvic for a joint independent investigation. Bakit joint?
(0:01:30) Kasi jurisdiction ito ng OSAA at ng Senate. On the other hand, I was already aware at that time na all the way to the highest echelons of government may nagsasabi that ito ay gawa-gawa. So the accusations are all over. So in the same manner that the PNP, the AFP, mabilis sila mag-deny pag may fake news against the government, the administration, inaasahan ko na mabilis sila mag-deny na fake news against the Senate, against the Senate President, and against the integrity of the whole process. The investigation is ongoing at meron na aresto last night.
(0:02:16) Okay? Di lang namin nilalabas yung detalye because once you say three-letter words, ‘di ba? Once you say that it’s a certain agency, may conclusion na kaagad ang tao na government o hindi. Kaya nga independent and let’s not jump into conclusions. Okay? So by the time I meet you later, it’s about an hour, I’ll meet muna the 150 top officials of the Senate. I will give you more details about that. I also ordered the Sergeant at Arms to go to the offices and check kung anjaan si Senator Bato or wala, and to give me a spot report dun sa report na umalis ng 2:50 AM. There are many questions there, I will answer all of it later.
(0:03:01) He will get back…
REPORTER:
Inaudible
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:03:07) Oh, 100%. I mean, I can tell you honest to goodness, none of the senators who were here last night knew that was gonna happen. And the shots were fired from both sides. I mean, you have the videos, guys. And even before umalis si Sec. Jonvic, may… sa kabila daw may ano talaga. That’s why I asked for access sa OSAA sa kabilang side ng building, sa GSIS.
(0:03:31) But let me go to the Articles of Impeachment. It will be very transparent, no? So I’ll sign before you a letter. I’ll give you a copy, but of course, i-transmit ko muna. But I will read it to you. The Honorable Faustino Bojie Dy, III, Speaker, House of Representatives, Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
(0:04:00) RE, Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte. Your Honor, the Senate is in receipt of the resolution setting forth the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, including all annexes thereto.
(0:04:19) Transmitted by the House of Representatives. Pursuant to Rule 1 of the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials, the Senate has taken proper order of the impeachment and shall immediately proceed to its consideration, consistent with its mandate under Article 11, Section 3 of the Constitution.
(0:04:41) The Secretariat has been directed to include the Articles of Impeachment in the Calendar for Ordinary Business for Referral to the Impeachment Court, which shall be convened on 18 May 2026, 3 p.m., or at the possible soonest time, absent any question on the rules and procedure related to the transmitted articles. The party shall in due course shall be directed to appear before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court on a date date be determined subsequently. We trust the foregoing is in order. Thank you very much, truly yours, Alan Peter Cayetano, Senate President. Copy furnished the Honorable Sara Z. Duterte, Vice-President, Republic of the Philippines.
(0:05:30) So, we’ll send this, pagka-send, we’ll give you a copy yung countersign. Someone countersign. Sec-Gen siguro countersign.
(0:06:12) Before I send that, yung countersign lang. Let me tell you a little bit more about the procedure, okay? So, sa Monday, nasa order of business yun, ibibigay sa rules like any other, yung majority leader or acting majority leader, kanyang i-pre-present. The likely scenario is we will organize muna the Senate, so may mga committees, take that up. From the majority side, from the majority side, kasi nag-caucus kami kagabi, I don’t see any amendments to the rules.
(0:06:46) So if there’s going to be any… I’m not saying there will be. I want to be clear. I’m not accusing anyone of delays. I’m saying it won’t come from the majority kasi nag-meeting kami kagabi. We are happy with the former rules.
(0:07:02) Kung ano yung good na rules sa mga dating na impeach, good din sa amin ngayon. So, kaya lang, hindi ko matatanggal yung karapatan ng bawat senador na tumayo. Ang problema, madi-delay kung babaguhin pa yung rules kasi ipapublish pa ulit yun. But from the majority, that’s why sa letter, I just wanted to be safe. Sinabi ko doon on Monday or the soonest time or forthwith. If everyone agrees on the rule, I do not see any reason why hindi kami makapag-convene sa Monday.
(0:07:34) So ano mangyayari pag nag-convene? Edi may motion to convene. Ako muna mag-o-oath as presiding officer of the impeachment court and then yung 23 na senador. After that, our job is to issue the summons. Okay? And then from that time on, pag sumagot na, ‘di ba? Aandar na yung process. I’ll brief you more about the process later on.
(0:07:58) And probably, kung hindi Monday mismo or Tuesday, we will have a caucus para yung calendar. So the biggest issue for me is the balancing between the legislative work given the mga crisis na humaharap. Kung maganda takbo ng ekonomiya and we don’t need any urgent legislation, pwedeng mag 90-95% sa impeachment court. Unless nga sabihin ng mga senador, pwede pa rin, bilisan na lang. But you know, madaling sabihin, yung sarili mo lang inasahan mo, halimbawa, Alan, bilisan mo sa pagpunta ng Senate, Alan, bilisan mo yung sulat, that’s under my control more or less, ‘di ba? But when you say it’s a trial…
(0:08:39) You cannot stop both sides from presenting the number of witnesses na gusto nilang sabihin. So, madaling sabihin, bilisan, at madaling sabihin, it will finish by this month or that month, but all of those will be approximations. Okay? Any question?
REPORTER:
(0:08:52) Sir, when you convene po as impeachment court, yun talaga forthwith, pero how about the trial proper? When is the latest trial going to happen?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:08:59) Once you convene and issue the summons, dederetso na yun.
REPORTER:
(0:09:02) Pero yung trial proper ay after all the …inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:09:11) Susundin mo lang yung number of days. So walang delay yun. Kung ano na sa rules, kung ano nasa constitution yun.
REPORTER:
(0:09:17) Trial proper maybe in June? Maybe in June ang trial proper?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:09:22) I don’t want to preempt the calendar. But if it’s 15 days, so we will follow. Actually, what we’re doing now after the meeting, then seeing you, we’re going to make a draft calendar. So the calendar will not be based on anything that is discretionary. It will be based on objectivity. So kung nakalagay sa rules, ganitong number of days para sumagot, this number of days sumagot, then trial na kaagad.
REPORTER:
(0:09:49) So ano po ngayon ang sagot, SP, doon sa sinabi na yung pagpapalit ng liderato ng Senado ay para mablock yung impeachment trial?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:09:56) Again, I’m trying to get a united Senate. Unprecedented yung attack against the Senate. First nung Monday na hinabol sa loob, hinagod-hinabol sa loob ng Senate ang isang senador, ginulpi ang isang member ng OSAA, and then last night, the armed attack on the Senate, unprecedented yan.
(0:10:17) ‘Di ba? So, I’m trying to unite the Senate, the Senators are people, by just simply following the law. The Constitution, our rules, and what is right. ‘Di ba? So, sabi ko naman sa inyo lahat, dalawa lang libro ko, yung Bible, yung Constitution. Everything else follows. Even the Constitution for me has to follow the Bible. ‘Di ba? Having said that, we will follow. So, walang magiging delays. I can tell you anything now as you ask, ‘di ba, kailan yung trial.
(0:10:45) So, if I have the trial July [or] August, edi dinelay ko.
REPORTER:
(0:10:48) Offhand lang SP. Offhand lang SP. For you, yung trial ko ba ay dapat araw-araw, Monday to Friday or MWF? Offhand, for you.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:10:56) Offhand, either Monday to Wednesday or Monday to Thursday. Definitely, hindi hanggang Friday because you need a motion day. ‘Di ba? So, and the question for me, the bigger question to me, is it Monday to Wednesday, whole day, and then Thursday may committee hearings, or is it Monday to Thursday, half-day hearings, half-day… So definitely mag-extend kami, ‘di ba? So kung dati, nag-he-hearing kami either 9, 10 o’clock hanggang 2.45 or 3, and then 3 to 7 or 8 yung ano. Nagagawa naman namin sa budget yung magdamagan eh. But remember, I think, mga 2 weeks yun eh, na magdamagan. So I don’t think kaya naman yung magdamagan ng two months, ‘di ba?
(0:11:43) I don’t know. It depends kasi kung ilan witnesses. It depends sa articles. That’s why I don’t want to speculate.
REPORTER:
(0:11:52) … Inaudible… sa monday?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:11:54) In my letter, we’re bound by that. Sa caucus, agree kami lahat. There’s no reason whatsoever to dilly-dally. Okay? Having said that, syempre, kung may nag-bring up na ito yung mga ganyan-ganyan, et cetera, et cetera, bukas na yan or whatever ganyan, baka mag botohan. But so far, yung aming trese ang sinasabi, there’s no reason why not to convene and take our oaths on Monday.
REPORTER:
(0:12:18) Just to be sure, you are asking the prosecution team to be here on Monday?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:12:23) It’s their option.
REPORTER:
(0:12:24) To what, sir? To report, sir, about the articles of impeachment?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:12:27) Kasi yung tinignan ko yung dating presidents, the article itself is the presentation. So actually, they can or cannot be here. Kasi the articles, dahil yan naman yung, kumbaga, yun yung asunto, yun yung charge sa’yo. So ang process, yung summons, para sumagot naman yung kabila.
REPORTER:
(0:12:49) Who will read the articles of impeachment? The prosecutor or kayo po sa Monday?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:12:54) Sa Monday, malamang yun yung pagbigay nga namin sa Madjo (Majority). Pero the impeachment court has a life of its own. So, depende sa mga motions na maganap doon sa impeachment court. May question na?
REPORTER:
(0:13:08) Wala na pong debate about … inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:11) On our side, wala. On the majority side, wala. Hindi ko alam sa minority.
(0:13:14)I’d like to consult them but I’ll only see them on Monday. Medyo busy sila ngayon na tina-try kausapin yung mga miyembro namin na sumali ulit sa kanila.
REPORTER:
(0:13:26) So, who attempts na naman, sir? Against you naman, sir?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:31) Suggest, ano naman expected naman yun.
REPORTER:
(0:13:31) Who told you that, sir? From the majority?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:34) Oo. May invitations to talk, may pananakot, but dati na silang takot eh.
REPORTER:
(0:13:42) But your 13 is solid?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:44) You’re always solid until you’re not. But I believe in the 13, I believe in our cause.
REPORTER:
(0:13:50) Kailan yung kinakausap, sir? Kailan yung kinakausap?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:13:52) Hindi ko pa nakakausap lahat kasi nag aaya nga na mag-meeting ngayon. Sabi ko, magtrabaho muna tayo, magtawagan na lang tayo. Because nga, you know, that’s the nature of, ‘di ba dati kasi ano eh, you have three or four major newspapers, maybe four major news networks.
(0:14:10) Then maraming tabloid. Then maraming radio. Ngayon kasi with SocMed, anyone can say anything. ‘Di ba? And anyone can interpret anything that way. But yun na ang challenge ko ngayon. ‘Di ba? Trabaho or mamulitika.
(0:14:29) So my only choice is to do the work, then be completely honest with you. So in an hour, I will be completely honest what happened kay Sen. Bato and where the investigation with the PNP is. But uulitin ko lang ha, PNP, AFP, lahat NBI, hindi tayo magkakalaban, we’re one government.
(0:14:48) ‘Di ba? But we have to respect the judiciary, the same manner the executive, but also respect the legislative department. So in the same manner, kung may fake news, I expect them to address that immediately.
REPORTER:
(0:15:04) Inaudible… nag caucus po ang majority bloc about jaan sa impeachment, so wala po bang uusbong, wala po bang supresang susulpot na motion from the Majority bloc para kapag nag convene na kayo as Impeachment Court at ipa-dismiss yung Articles of Impeachment?
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:15:16) So, you always talk in the realm of probabilities and possibilities. In a collegial body, there’s always a possibility, kahit sa minority.
(0:15:27) Kahit sabihin mong before the oath, hindi impartial lahat, meron gusto magdismiss, meron hindi, etc. So I can only discuss with you my call. I cannot talk for everyone. I can tell you kung ano na pag-usapan and everyone said we should have the trial and there’s no…
(0:15:47) Walang isa man nagsabing hindi magtrial. So I can only answer myself. I will act in accordance with the rules. There always has to be legal grounds. And I will decide based on truth and evidence.
REPORTER:
(0:16:00) Sa 13, walang nagsabi na…
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:16:03) Sa 13, walang nagsabi na ayaw magtrial.
REPORTER:
(0:16:08) Magagampanan po kaya ni Senator Bato ang pagiging senator-judge ng walang panganib…inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:16:15) I’ll answer all questions, Senator Bato, but quickly, I hope so. Hindi ko hawak yung attendance at yung ano eh. I hope ma-resolve nung Korte. Kasi pag wala naman threat kay Senator Bato, gusto naman niya pumasok eh.
REPORTER:
Inaudible
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:16:36) Marami. That’s normal. Parang pagsakay sa kotse ni Pia Cayetano yun, hindi naman bawal eh.
REPORTER:
Inaudbile
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:16:51) This morning, this morning, nagyayang kwentuhan. Sasabi ko naman dun sa kausap ko, sabihin mo ano, puntahan ako, sumali sa amin.
REPORTER:
(0:17:02) Sino nagsabi may … inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:17:03) I’ll address that later. Expect that. Expect that. I mean, magulat tayo kung wala. ‘Di ba?
REPORTER:
Inaudible.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:17:16) Hindi. So far, lahat ng kausap ko was in public, yung kansyawan sa floor. Tapos yung kausap kong isa kanina na nagbigay siya ng dalawang pangalan, dalawang senador, na kaibigan ko pareho. So sinabi ko sa kanya, muntik ko na masabi tuloy ang pangalan. Sabi ko, sabi ko sa kanya, pakisabi, kung gusto niyo, sama ako. Tapos sumama na sila sa atin. Natawa lang siya.
REPORTER:
(0:17:36) Pagkausap sa mga kasama niyo, sir, ay para pumunta sa kanila, sa kabilang bakod.
SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:17:40) Hindi, hindi. Sila ang nagyayang makipag-usap. Pero, yun nga, yung… Kaya kami hindi nakipag-usap last week kasi minsan may kasamang pananakot. We consider it naman fake news. Matalino naman kayo eh. Alam nyo naman yung…
