Senator Erwin Tulfo on Wednesday fired back at rumors linking the Senate minority bloc to the chaotic incident that rocked the chamber last week, labeling the accusations as “irresponsible” and baseless.
Delivering a privilege speech on the Senate floor, Tulfo described the events of May 13 as “deeply alarming,” pointing out that multiple, conflicting narratives of the night’s mayhem have since surfaced.
He addressed critics who questioned why minority senators were absent during the commotion, explaining that they had already departed after being explicitly told that the scheduled caucus was exclusive to the majority bloc.
”To suggest that the mere fact that some senators were responsible for what later transpired just because they had already left the premises is speculative, irresponsible and unsupported by evidence,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo recounted that he left the Senate building around 6:00 p.m. for a meeting and was later having dinner with his family when his staff alerted him to gunfire within the complex.
The lawmaker lamented how ordinary Senate employees—including maintenance personnel, security clerks, and members of the media—were unexpectedly trapped in the crossfire while trying to fulfill their duties. He noted that these workers were “exposed to fear, confusion, and danger inside an institution where they should have felt secured,” leaving many deeply traumatized.
Demanding a “fair and transparent” investigation free from “undue influence,” Tulfo urged his colleagues to preserve the integrity of the legislature.
”No camp wins when public confidence in institutions is weakened. The Senate is not a venue for armed confrontation or competing display of forces, or political theater,” he stressed.
In a separate speech, Senator Risa Hontiveros echoed the gravity of the situation, expressing dismay over the apparent disregard for the terror that unfolded. She warned that the Senate has “sustained a profound injury to its dignity, credibility, and moral authority before the Filipino people.”
”We cannot act as though nothing happened last week. We know what is right and wrong. We know when enough is enough. And this is what our country needs from us now: for the Senate, in this difficult hour, to reflect the best of our people,” Hontiveros said.