Senator Ping Lacson on Tuesday expressed the disappointment of the former majority bloc following Senator Loren Legarda’s abrupt decision to align with a new faction, a move that secured the Senate Presidency for Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
In a radio interview, Lacson revealed that the sudden departure of Legarda—a key figure in the bloc that supported ousted Senate President Tito Sotto —caught many of his colleagues off guard.
He noted that their group had been holding regular meetings to organize the 20th Congress under the impression that their alliance was firm.
“Ang medyo masakit…pagka meron kang original na kasama na isa sa pinakamasugid na walang iwanan, tapos bigla kami naiwanan.”
Lacson drew a sharp contrast between Legarda’s exit and previous leadership changes, citing instances where senators like JV Ejercito and Win Gatchalian gave their colleagues the courtesy of a formal notice before switching sides.
For Lacson, the issue was not the loss of committee posts or the Senate Presidency Pro Tempore position, but the breach of parliamentary courtesy.
“Ang point ko is nagpaalam nang maayos…sana nakapagpasabi muna.”
While Lacson declined to comment on rumors that family-related political pressures influenced Legarda’s decision, he emphasized that his grievance centered on the lack of communication.
Despite the “surprise” move, he maintained that the minority respects her political prerogative but underscores that personal courtesy should remain a staple of collegial relations.