Senate minority calls on Cayetano to resign

The Senate minority bloc on Tuesday called on Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to step down, accusing him of failing to perform his duties after refusing to convene Senate sessions.

“Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano should resign as he has shown that he cannot function as the leader of the Senate anymore,” the 11-member minority bloc said in a statement read by Senator Erwin Tulfo during a press conference.

The resignation call came after Cayetano’s continued refusal to convene the chamber since Monday.

The minority described the move as an abandonment of responsibility and a violation of Senate rules.

“What happened today was a clear abandonment of responsibility, a dereliction of duty, and a blatant disregard of the rules that govern this institution, because the Senate cannot be made to stop working simply because its presiding officer refuses to lead,” the group said.

The bloc cited Rule XIV, Section 41 of the Rules of the Senate, which states that the Senate President may postpone a session only after consulting both the majority and minority leaders.

“That rule was violated,” the minority said. “This is not merely a procedural lapse — it is a direct violation of the Rules of the Senate and a serious disrespect for the institution and the Filipino people.”

Present during the press briefing were Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III and fellow minority senators Panfilo Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sherwin Gatchalian, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, JV Ejercito, Lito Lapid, Erwin Tulfo, and Raffy Tulfo.

“I challenge Alan Peter Cayetano: if you are brave, show up here tomorrow. Otherwise, you are a coward,” Senator Raffy Tulfo said.

Several minority senators also appealed to their colleagues to attend the remaining session days of Congress.

“We appeal to all our colleagues to attend the session. It is our duty. The people pay us to work and to legislate, not simply to be absent,” Zubiri said.

Gatchalian noted that the Senate spends around ₱24 million daily on salaries, utilities, and operational expenses.

“It is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” he said, referring to the lack of legislative activity while sessions remain suspended.

The minority also rejected claims that it was trying to block Senate investigations, including the Blue Ribbon Committee’s inquiry into the flood control controversy.

“We are not stopping any hearings, as long as they are conducted properly,” Risa Hontiveros said.

The dispute marks the latest escalation in the ongoing standoff between the Senate majority and minority blocs following the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada on plunder charges linked to the alleged flood control fund anomaly.