Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday challenged former Senator Leila de Lima to file a case against him in court, urging her to address their disputes through legal means.
Cayetano made the remark in a Facebook Live on March 13, 2025 where he addressed de Lima directly.
“Kasuhan mo na lang ako para may venue ako na isa-isahin ang mga kasinungalingan mo at ng mga kasama mo,” the senator said.
Cayetano’s comments were in response to a video released earlier that day by de Lima in which she criticized him for allegedly overstepping and telling human rights organizations and human rights defenders how to act regarding the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
De Lima’s video was itself a response to Cayetano’s remarks on the day of Duterte’s arrest on March 11 in which he called out human rights activists for being silent and not ensuring due process for the former President.
This exchange adds to the ongoing political tension between the two, who have clashed on a number of issues like the war on drugs and extrajudicial killings.
In his own response video, Cayetano refuted de Lima’s statements point by point. He made clear his stance on human rights, saying he meant “no offense to human rights activists.”
“Nirerespeto ko kayo during my time. I always made time and made sure that people listened even if opposing ang views natin,” he said.
He concluded by emphasizing his readiness to face any legal action, asserting that a court would be the ideal place to expose what he believes are falsehoods spread by de Lima and her allies.
“Kasuhan mo na lang ako. This is something to ponder on — former Justice Secretary, former Commission on Human Rights Chair, and former Senator de Lima. You formerly told the truth pero ngayon ay panay kasinungalingan [ka na],” he said.
Cayetano also reiterated his stand that Duterte should be granted due process.
“Nagdudugo pa rin ang puso ko kung bakit walang nagsalita sa inyo sa kagustuhan niyo na madala sa International Criminal Court si Duterte. Na ma-detain siya, ma-face niya, at i-deny niyo ang due process at opportunity niya to seek legal remedies,” the senator said.
“I don’t think that should happen to any Filipino,” he added.
