Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has accused a Senate faction allied with Senate President Win Gatchalian of plotting a leadership change to gain control over the looming impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaking during a social media livestream, Cayetano claimed that the ongoing push to reorganize the chamber is driven by a desire to dictate the timing and direction of the trial.
He alleged that the group wants its own members in key positions to manage the process to their advantage.
“So, huwag na tayo maglokohan. Yung kahapon, kasi may 13 na kayo, at gusto n’yong palitan ang Senate president, kasi gusto n’yo tuloy-tuloy na yung impeachment, at ang gusto n’yo, grupo n’yo ang magdikta ng tempo through impeachment. The presiding officer. That’s been very clear to us from the start,” Cayetano said.
According to Cayetano, the orchestrations to replace the Senate leadership are not new. He revealed that initial talks surfaced as early as February, with proposals to install Senator Loren Legarda as the chamber’s leader, an effort that allegedly faced pushback due to the impending impeachment battle.
However, Cayetano argued that the political maneuvering extends beyond the Vice President’s case.
He alleged that the primary goal of the rival bloc is actually to create a distraction and shield certain lawmakers from scrutiny regarding multi-billion peso flood control anomalies.
“Noong February pa, noong ipu-pwesto natin si Senator Loren Legarda bilang Senate president, ‘yun ang sinabi, hindi sila papayag dahil impeachment ang importante. Pero number two lang pala ‘yung impeachment. Ang number one, ‘yung cover-up dito po sa flood control at napakarami pang iba,” he said.
The allegations heighten existing political friction within the upper chamber as lawmakers remain deeply divided over both internal leadership controls and the high-profile accountability measures facing the country’s second-highest official.