Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday called out members of the Minority bloc over what he described as their double standard of swiftly condemning a video presentation shown by Senator Imee Marcos while remaining largely silent on the alleged assault of a Senate security employee inside Senate premises.
Tensions rose during the May 25 plenary session after Marcos delivered a privilege speech on alleged backchannel talks concerning efforts to convene a Constitutional Assembly to amend the 1987 Constitution. Former Senate President Vicente Sotto III was reportedly involved in the discussions.
As part of her speech, Marcos presented a video that Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri immediately objected to, arguing that it violated Senate Rules by containing offensive and inaccurate statements against fellow senators and the institution. Most Minority senators backed the objection, except Senator Lito Lapid.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta, however, defended Marcos, saying the Majority to which he belonged had repeatedly faced attacks and slander both inside and outside the Senate.
While Cayetano later asked Marcos to withdraw the video presentation, he questioned why some senators were vocal about protecting the Senate’s dignity over the video issue but allegedly silent on what he described as a more serious incident involving an employee of the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA).
Challenging the ‘dignity’ narrative
Speaking on the floor, Cayetano challenged the narrative that the Senate’s image had deteriorated since May 11.
“Ano ang nasabi last week? Bumagsak daw ang Senado. Sabi, ‘ibalik ang dignidad ng Senado.’ I’ll take it with good faith. Ang problema, iyan ang narrative ng Minority. Na simula noong May 11, bumagsak ang imahe ng Senado. Ba’t ba nag-umpisa ito at bakit ba nangyari y’ung May 13 incident?” he said.
To support his point, Cayetano played a video in the plenary hall allegedly showing National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents assaulting Terrence Lim, an employee of the OSAA.
According to Cayetano, the incident stemmed from the Senate’s contempt order against NBI agents involved in pursuing Senator Ronald dela Rosa inside the Senate complex on May 11.
Cayetano assumed the Senate presidency on May 11, the same day dela Rosa resurfaced at the Senate after months out of public view amid reports of a possible arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes against humanity.
“We ordered the arrest of NBI agents because they were held in contempt. Y’ung mga nakipaghabulan kay Sen. Bato. When they were leaving the building, nagtulakan. Kinuha ng mga taga-NBI si Terrence Lim ng Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms at ginulpi,” Cayetano said.
The Senate chief claimed NBI agents prevented OSAA personnel from assisting Lim, later handcuffing him and sought to take him to NBI headquarters.
“That’s inside our Senate premises! Have I heard anyone say that the dignity of the Senate is at stake here? Nanggulpi ang NBI sa loob ng ating premises. Ayaw sumunod sa order ng SP at tinakot pa ang ibang OSAA,” he said.
Cayetano also pointed out that only one Minority senator publicly commented on the alleged assault incident.
“Isa lang po sa Minority ang narinig kong nagsalita — si Migz Zubiri, the former Senate President. Did you ever hear me say anything about that? No. Because we are waiting for the independent investigation,” Cayetano said.
He ended by urging senators to refocus on legislation rather than political theatrics.
“Can we go back to talking again? Isa ang tama sa sinabi ninyo: People are watching us,” he said.