“Sino ang legitimately elected Senate President? Nasa harap niyo. Pero ayokong daanin sa loyalty sa tao, kundi loyalty sa institution.”

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday reasserted his authority as the legitimate head of the Senate as he appealed to Senate employees to stand with the truth, the Senate Rules, and the institution they serve.

In a press conference after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control scandal on June 4, 2026, Cayetano said the issue was never about personal loyalty to him or to any senator but whether or not the Senate as an institution would follow its own rules.

“You may not like me, but you know in your heart I am telling you the truth,” he said.

He stressed that he was not pressuring Senate employees to side with him personally but was asking them to decide based on their conscience and loyalty to the institution.

Confusion ensued on Wednesday after Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who claimed to be Acting Senate President, issued a work-from-home memo for Senate staff for Thursday despite Cayetano’s earlier announcement that the Blue Ribbon hearing would push through as scheduled.

“I have to assert my authority as Senate President. Now it’s up to the employees ng Senate, sa konsensya nila, kasi alam naman nila kung sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo,” Cayetano said.

“So I’m talking now to the Senate employees: is your loyalty to the institution or to certain personalities? Ano ang tamang batas?” he added.

Cayetano said the answer is clear under the Constitution and the Senate Rules, which states that without the vote of 13 senators, a new Senate President or a Senate President Pro Tempore, let alone an Acting President, cannot be elected.

As of today, there are 24 active and living senators, whether inside or outside the Senate building. Hence, the majority is 13 senators.

“Wala silang 13, so wala silang quorum. Kahit anong imbento nila sa kanilang justification, hindi totoo ’yun,” he said.

He said only 12 senators moved to declare all positions vacant including the Senate presidency, which meant the motion should have been declared lost.

“Dapat ang pinukpok ni Senator Win [sa gavel] is that the motion is lost kasi 12 lang sila. Kami n’ung nagdeclare kami ng all seats vacant, 13 kami,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano warned that the power grab in the Senate could grow into a larger national issue beyond him, Gatchalian, or any other senator seeking control of the institution.

“Ano’ng kasunod? People’s Initiative or Constitutional Assembly. So hindi ito labanan ng si Sotto o si Cayetano o si Gatchalian, ang Malacañang at ang Senate. Hindi po. Future ng ating bansa ang at stake dito, kaya hindi masagot ng diretso ng Malacañang at ng 11 plus 1 kung anong pinaggagawa nila,” he said.

Despite this, Cayetano said he was not calling for violence or civil disobedience. Instead, he vowed to calmly but actively fight for the rights of the Senate as an institution and his rights to carry out his duties as the duly elected Senate President.

“Right now, no violence. I’m not calling for any kind of civil disobedience. I will calmly and actively fight for the rights of the Senate, rights of the duly elected Senate President, and appeal to people’s conscience. Ang role ko po ngayon ay ipaglaban ang totoo,” he said.

He also appealed to the public to examine the situation and decide for themselves who is telling the truth.

“I’m talking to the people: Decide for yourself kung sino ang nagsasabi ng totoo,” Cayetano said.###