Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has dismissed claims that the recent friction within the upper chamber is a mere power struggle, asserting instead that the instability is an intentional effort to hide irregularities in government flood control projects.
In a statement issued over the Independence Day weekend, Cayetano rejected the narrative that the Senate is caught in a typical leadership dispute.
“This is not Game of Thrones,” he stated. “If it were only a contest for the throne, then let thirteen senators choose another Senate President tomorrow — the leadership question could be settled in a single afternoon.”
Cayetano argued that the recent changes in committee assignments and leadership positions are tactical moves designed to block legislative oversight into the flood control controversy.
He claimed these adjustments are part of a larger plan to dominate Senate committees and suppress deep investigation.
“The real issue is why there is such determination to keep the truth about the flood control scandal from coming out,” he said, citing a “rush to control committees” as well as ongoing efforts to distract from the investigations.
The political friction in the Senate recently intensified following a reshuffle where Senator Win Gatchalian assumed the post of Senate President Pro Tempore.
Cayetano compared the political environment to a chess match, raising questions about whether lawmakers are independent or are being influenced by external forces trying to escape accountability.
“The question is: Are we players — or are we merely pieces?” he asked.
Cayetano warned that the suspected diversion of flood control resources has direct, harmful consequences for the public.
“The funds meant to hold back the floods became a flood of their own,” he remarked, emphasizing that the consequences have burdened ordinary citizens regardless of their political leanings.
The Senate leader closed by calling on his peers to protect the credibility of congressional inquiries, demanding that committee panels should not be used to hide facts.
“No committee of the Senate should ever become a place where difficult questions go to die,” he asserted. “Long after the question of Senate leadership is resolved… the corruption will remain.”
He urged both the public and his fellow senators to stay focused on government transparency, describing the situation as a defining moment for the nation.
“What we do today will determine the country our children inherit,” he said.