Cayetano steps down as Senate President but commits to keep fighting corruption

Former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said his departure from the Senate’s top post will not hinder efforts to uncover the truth behind alleged irregularities in the country’s flood control program.

Cayetano was replaced as Senate President by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday (June 17, 2026).

READ: Sherwin Gatchalian is the new Senate President, Tito Sotto the new Senate President Pro Tempore

Cayetano framed the recent leadership transition as a significant struggle centered on corruption, constitutional independence, and public accountability.

In a statement posted on social media titled “A Grateful Heart, An Unfinished Fight,” Cayetano expressed gratitude to his supporters and acknowledged the allies who have stood by him.

He also reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing accountability regarding the billions of pesos allocated for flood mitigation projects.

Cayetano said the controversy that led to the leadership dispute stemmed from efforts to uncover the truth behind the use of flood control funds, arguing that the issue remains his primary concern regardless of his position in the chamber.

“This was never about the Senate presidency. From the very beginning it was about the truth — the truth about the flood-control funds, the billions meant to shield our towns and our families from the waters, the protection that was paid for and never came,” he said.

“That is the fight that began all of this — one side wanted to bring it out, the other desperate to keep it covered. And it is a fight that we intend to continue, no title or position required,” he added.

The remarks came as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convened a special session on June 17, which Malacañang said would focus on urgent legislative measures.

Cayetano, however, cast doubt on the administration’s justification for the special session, noting that none of the President’s 21 priority bills appeared poised for approval.

“The President himself named twenty-one priority measures for passage by June, and when our leadership changed, his Palace promised the public there would be no slowdown. Yet not one of those twenty-one appears to be set for passage today,” he said.

“The lone priority measure on the calendar at all, the Anti-Political Dynasty bill, sits only at interpellation. We could have done the people’s work these past weeks — had the effort gone into governing rather than into counting to thirteen. Instead, the real work waits. Cover-up time muna,” he added.

He further questioned whether the special session was being convened to pass legislation or merely to formalize the installation of a new Senate leader.

Cayetano also reiterated his position that the June 3 Senate session was unconstitutional, arguing that the issue should ultimately be settled by the Supreme Court.

“We have said from the first, and we maintain still, that what was done on June 3 was done without the quorum the Constitution requires, and was, for that reason, void,” he said.

The senator likewise renewed concerns over what he described as executive interference in the affairs of the Senate.

“The deeper concern was never the count alone. It was the hand that reached into this chamber from outside it. The independence of the Senate is not a courtesy the Executive may grant or withdraw at will; it is a wall the Constitution built on purpose,” he said.

Despite the leadership dispute, Cayetano said he remains committed to supporting urgent legislation, including measures intended to assist communities in Mindanao affected by recent earthquakes.

He ended his statement by pledging to continue efforts to identify those responsible for the alleged anomalies surrounding the flood control funds.

“I promise you, we will get to the bottom of this. We will find the Masterminds. We will hold them accountable,” he said.

-Paraluman News