Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the 28-day Senate leadership standoff under former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano cost taxpayers an estimated P700 million while producing little more than turmoil, calling the period “a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
In a post on X on Thursday, June 18, Lacson tallied what he described as the lowlights of Cayetano’s brief tenure: “chaos, gunfire, Bato’s escape despite ICC-issued warrant while under its ‘protective custody’, session boycott, failed destabilization attempt, unauthorized committee hearings highlighted by one not presided nor attended by a single senator.”
Lacson based the cost estimate on figures from Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who previously chaired the finance committee. According to Philstar.com, Lacson said the Senate spends roughly P25 million a day under the 2026 General Appropriations Act — covering salaries, allowances, and maintenance and other operating expenses — which over 28 days of what he called inaction comes to about P700 million.
The 28-day window traces the leadership dispute that gripped the chamber. Cayetano replaced Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as Senate President on May 11, ahead of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Two days later, on May 13, gunshots rang out inside the Senate building; no one was reported hurt. The chamber had earlier placed Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa under protective custody after National Bureau of Investigation agents sought to arrest him on an International Criminal Court warrant. He later left the premises and went into hiding.
The standoff escalated in early June. After Cayetano’s bloc skipped sessions on June 1 and 2, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero joined the minority on June 3 to form a quorum of 12 — a number the new majority defended by invoking the 1949 Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco. The senators present declared all leadership posts vacant and elected Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President. Cayetano disputed the move, continued issuing memos as Senate President, and elevated the matter to the Supreme Court on the eve of a special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The dispute ended on June 17. Cayetano conceded the presidency after Senator Joel Villanueva signaled he would back Gatchalian, supplying the 13th vote required for a formal election. Thirteen senators then convened and elected Gatchalian as the chamber’s 34th Senate President. As of Inquirer’s posting, Cayetano had not responded to a request for comment on Lacson’s remarks.
