Two senators offered sharply contrasting assessments of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s culpability in last week’s violent incident inside the chamber, with one veteran lawmaker pointing directly to institutional authority and another cautioning against premature judgment.
Former Senate president Franklin Drilon cited Senate rules as the basis for pinning responsibility on Cayetano, noting that the chamber’s presiding officer holds authority over the entire Senate compound. “Under Senate rules, the Senate president has control over the premises of the Senate and Sen. Cayetano is the leader of the Senate, he has the full responsibility to know what really happened at the Senate,” Drilon told reporters.
When asked whether Cayetano was in command at the time the gunfire erupted, Drilon said he believes the Senate leader lost control of the situation.
Drilon did not go as far as calling for Cayetano’s resignation, framing it instead as a personal decision for the Senate president to make. “It is up to him. Stepping down as SP, that is among Senator Alan’s responsibilities. I will leave that decision to him,” he said.
The former Senate chief also flagged what he sees as a corrosive political undercurrent behind the recent turbulence in the chamber, warning that electoral calculations are distorting the Senate’s priorities ahead of the 2028 national elections. “This is why I am asking my former colleagues — don’t focus entirely on politics or 2028,” he said.
A different tone came from Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who argued that blaming Cayetano at this stage would be premature without evidence directly linking him to the shooting. Speaking on radio dzBB, Tulfo said it was unfair to call for an immediate replacement. “Maybe it’s time we give him the chance to see whether he is fit for the role,” he added.
The Senate is set to convene today as an impeachment court, with rumors of another leadership coup continuing to circulate. Separately, alumni of two rival political organizations from the University of the Philippines issued a joint statement calling for Cayetano’s removal as Senate President in the wake of last week’s events.
