Cayetano on threats vs Minority: Open your eyes to see the truth
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said all it takes is to “open our eyes” to see a clear pattern of political pressure against members of the Senate Minority – and who is behind it.
Cayetano was responding to reporters’ questions before the plenary session on September 14, 2026 about who was behind the “threats” against minority senators.
“Sino ba kinakasuhan? Y’ung nasa oposisyon… Guys, alangan namang oposisyon ang mag-threaten sa kapwa oposisyon,” he told the media.
“Obvious naman. You can see it with your eyes,” he added.
Cayetano pointed to the investigations and cases being threatened against him and other opposition senators as talks resurfaced about lowering the votes needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Senator Ping (Lacson), as an example, says dapat matapos y’ung impeachment by December. Then by December, may kaso daw ako,” he said.
A two-thirds vote of “all members of the Senate,” or 16 out of 24, is needed to convict an impeachable officer. However, the Senate Impeachment Court is set to tackle the possible lowering of this Constitutional threshold, citing the inability of absent senators to vote.
Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta remain absent from the chamber due to detention in connection with separate non-bailable cases. Senator Loren Legarda is also the subject of an Ombudsman probe involving a plunder complaint, while Senator Bato dela Rosa’s whereabouts remain unknown amid an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.
Cayetano, meanwhile, continues to face unproven allegations from Senator Panfilo Lacson involving projects in Taguig, the Minority Leader’s home city, as well as an NBI probe into the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
When reporters asked whether the threats were coming from Malacañang, Cayetano did not directly name anyone.
“Let’s open our eyes. If we want to see the truth, all we have to do is open our eyes,” he said.
In a Facebook livestream a day earlier, Cayetano vowed to continue defending the Constitution, the law, and the rights of all Filipinos despite the cost, although he had not expected the attacks to become as intense as they have.
“Whether it is – the cases that were threatened or the investigations, intriga, araw-araw na pabago-bagong accusation – kasama po ‘yan sa cost na ipaglaban ang mahal nating bansa,” he said.
But he said political disputes should never lead public officials to change the rules or apply the law differently depending on who is involved.
“Just follow the law. Apply it equally to everyone. Don’t bend the law. ‘Wag wasakin o ibasura ang ating Konstitusyon. Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng bawat isa, mahirap man o mayaman,” Cayetano said.
Filipino Version
Cayetano sa mga pagbabanta vs Minorya: ‘Open your eyes to see the truth’
“Obvious naman. You can see it with your eyes.”
Ito ang simple at diretsahang sagot ni Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Lunes, September 14, nang tanungin siya ng media kung sino ang nasa likod ng mga pagbabanta sa mga miyembro ng Minorya sa Senado.
“Sino ba kinakasuhan? Y’ung nasa oposisyon… Guys, alangan namang oposisyon ang mag-threaten sa kapwa oposisyon,” wika niya.
Tinuro ni Cayetano ang timing ng mga imbestigasyon at kasong ibinabanta laban sa kanya at iba pang mga senador sa oposisyon sa gitna ng muling pag-usbong ng mga panukalang pababain ang botong kailangan para ma-convict si Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Senator Ping (Lacson), as an example, says dapat matapos y’ung impeachment by December. Then by December, may kaso daw ako,” aniya.
Kailangan ang two-thirds vote ng “all members of the Senate,” o 16 sa 24 na senador, para ma-convict ang isang impeachable official. Sa kabila ng Constitutional threshold na ito, nakatakdang talakayin ng Senate Impeachment Court ang posibleng pagpapababa rito dahil sa hindi pagdalo ng ibang senador sa trial.
Sa kasalukuyan, nakadetine pa rin sina Senador Jinggoy Estrada at Rodante Marcoleta dahil sa magkahiwalay na non-bailable na kaso. Nahaharap din si Senator Loren Legarda sa imbestigasyon ng Ombudsman kaugnay ng isang plunder complaint. Samantala, hindi pa rin matukoy ang kinaroroonan ni Senator Bato dela Rosa sa gitna ng warrant of arrest laban sa kanya mula sa International Criminal Court.
Si Cayetano naman ay patuloy ring inuulan ni Senator Panfilo Lacson ng mga hindi pa napatutunayang mga paratang kaugnay ng mga proyekto sa Taguig, ang home city ng Minority Leader, pati sa imbestigasyon ng NBI sa 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Nang tanungin ng media kung Malacañang ba ang nasa likod ng mga bantang ito, hindi nagbigay ng pangalan si Cayetano.
“Let’s open our eyes. If we want to see the truth, all we have to do is open our eyes,” aniya.
Sa isang Facebook livestream noong Linggo, nangako si Cayetano na patuloy niyang ipagtatanggol ang Constitution, ang batas, at ang karapatan ng lahat ng Pilipino anuman ang “cost” nito, bagama’t inamin niyang hindi niya inaasahang magiging matindi ang mga pag-atake laban sa grupo.
“Whether it is the cases that were threatened or the investigations, intriga, araw-araw na pabago-bagong accusation, kasama po ‘yan sa cost na ipaglaban ang mahal nating bansa,” aniya.
Giit niya, hindi dapat nauuwi ang mga alitang politikal sa pagbabago ng mga patakaran o sa pagbaluktot sa batas depende sa taong sangkot.
“Just follow the law. Apply it equally to everyone. Don’t bend the law. ‘Wag wasakin o ibasura ang ating Konstitusyon. Ipaglaban ang karapatan ng bawat isa, mahirap man o mayaman,” pahayag ni Cayetano.
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