Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano slammed the recent leadership transition in the upper chamber on Wednesday, branding it an unconstitutional power grab.
He firmly asserted his status as the rightful head of the Senate, dismissing the dramatic overhaul that placed new officials and committee chairs in power.
Broadcasting via Facebook Live shortly after the chamber resumed and voted in new leaders, Cayetano claimed his political opponents bypassed the 1987 Constitution and disregarded the Senate’s own regulatory guidelines.
“This is an illegal coup d’etat na may kasamang pagbabasura ng ating Konstitusyon,” Cayetano said.
“They can try to remove me, they can kill me, but they will not kill the idea of a democratic Philippines led not by men, but by laws led by the Philippine Constitution,” he added.
The session reconvened on Wednesday following a two-day legislative boycott staged by lawmakers allied with Cayetano. The political gridlock ended when Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, a member of the prior majority coalition, unexpectedly attended the plenary session.
His presence enabled the chamber to reach a quorum and return to official business.
With a dozen lawmakers in attendance, the chamber swiftly executed a leadership shakeup. Senator Win Gatchalian was voted in as Senate President Pro Tempore and subsequently designated as acting Senate chief. The restructuring also introduced a fresh roster of officers and committee leaders, fundamentally shifting the chamber’s political dynamics.
Nevertheless, Cayetano refused to recognize the validity of the session held without him, insisting that his leadership remains intact.
“I am still the legitimate, legal, moral Senate president of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.
Furthermore, Cayetano declared that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s scheduled Thursday inquiry into alleged flood control project irregularities would proceed.
This statement comes despite the chamber’s reorganization, which unseated Senator Pia Cayetano as panel chairperson and appointed Senator Erwin Tulfo in her place.