Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday dismissed any attempt to involve the minority bloc in what he described as an internal dispute within the Senate majority regarding the leadership of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, more commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee.
“There’s really no need for Senator Lacson to drag the minority into what’s clearly a family matter within the majority,” Cayetano said, responding to reports on Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s possible reinstatement as committee chair. “As he admits, his decision to step down from the Blue Ribbon Committee didn’t come from the minority — it came from dissatisfaction within their own ranks.”
Cayetano recounted that when Senate President Chiz Escudero and the majority initially appointed Senate Deputy Minority Leader Rodante Marcoleta to lead the committee, the goal was to ensure that the panel’s inquiries remained “steady, above politics and focused on finding the masterminds and the most guilty” behind corruption in government.
He pointed out that, despite political noise and speculations of a Senate coup at the time, the transition of leadership happened “without drama or intrigue.”
“The leadership under SP Chiz made a decision, stood by it, and moved forward with respect for the institution. That’s how professional and mature leadership behaves when tested,” Cayetano said.
He added that when the majority later decided to replace Marcoleta with Lacson, the minority bloc chose not to interfere, in deference to the Senate’s internal processes.
“We in the minority have no stake in their internal struggles. Our focus has always been on the bigger picture — truth, transparency, and integrity,” he emphasized.
Cayetano also reminded his colleagues that political disagreements are natural but should not overshadow the Senate’s mission.
“Kung may tampuhan man sila sa majority, ayos lang ‘yan — politics will always have its share of drama. But let’s not turn the Senate into a teleserye. The Blue Ribbon Committee is not about personalities; it’s about serving the people and protecting the dignity of the institution,” he said.
The senator concluded by stressing that the Senate’s integrity and independence should remain above personal or political tensions within its ranks.