Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday firmly denied allegations of anomalies concerning discretionary Senate funds, claiming the accusations are politically motivated and taking aim at his chief critic, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
Speaking during a livestreamed “fellowship lunch” on his official social media account, Cayetano dismissed allegations that ₱700 million in Senate funds had been misappropriated, countering that the figures presented against him were the product of flawed arithmetic.
“Unang-una, maggaling sa division si Senator Lacson for two reasons… Pero mahina talaga siya sa math,” Cayetano said as he disputed the arithmetic behind the allegations.
He targeted the methodology employed by his detractors, asserting that their calculations relied on arbitrary division and multiplication without factual merit.
“Bakit? Because 12 is not 13,” he added, pointing to what he described as inconsistencies in the timeline and mathematical assumptions presented by his critics.
Defending the legality and historical precedent of Senate discretionary funds, Cayetano clarified that while such allocations have routinely been utilized by past leadership, he never personally drew from them.
“Nising ko, may discretionary fund na pwedeng kunin ng Senate President. Maraming previous Senate Presidents, tens or hundreds of millions kinuha. Nising ko, hindi ako kumuha doon,” he said.
The senator rejected claims that any public funds under his watch had been squandered, accusing political adversaries of manufacturing a narrative to make his legislative bloc appear disorganized and unproductive.
“Ba’t tayo papasok sa strategy? In one sense, kailangan mo sagutin yung issue… Pero ayoko rin naman isipin ng tao, winaldas ko ₱700 million,” he said.
He alleged that his opponents are intentionally orchestrating a campaign to damage his camp’s reputation, even though their regular legislative operations remain fully active.
“Yun ang strategy nila,” he said, claiming that efforts were being made to cast them in a negative light despite ongoing Senate activities.
While stating a personal preference for policy-centered debates, Cayetano explained that it became necessary to publicly address these calculated political attacks to ensure the public is not misled.
“Stick to the issue tayo, which is truth… Pero sometimes, it’s strategic na i-expose yung ginagawa nila,” he said.
Cayetano concluded by noting that his educational background in political science informs his handling of political friction, acknowledging that navigating public perception is an essential element of political life alongside drafting legislation.