Senator Cayetano: Committees must keep working amid Senate leadership dispute

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday called on senators to allow committee work to proceed without disruption amid efforts to regain control of several key Senate committees. He emphasized that ongoing investigations and hearings are essential to addressing national issues and ensuring government accountability.

Speaking during a Facebook livestream on June 2, Cayetano said recent developments within the Senate should not divert attention from the concerns of ordinary Filipinos, including the cost of living, employment, healthcare, education, and transparency in government.

"We are listening to you, we hear you, na ang pangunahing isyu ay trabaho, kita, ang pagtaas ng presyo, at ang araw-araw na kabuhayan ng ating kababayan," he said.

“In the next few days, we will be announcing to you the hard work that we're going to do in the different committees to help address inflation, problema sa production sa agriculture, y’ung mga walang pera sa pagpapagamot, the problems of K to 12, sa kabuhayan ng mga kababayan natin sa Middle East,” he added.

Cayetano said the Majority bloc is working within Senate rules to keep committees functioning, particularly those handling investigations into alleged corruption, amid moves to take control of the panels.

“Ngayon po ang Majority, ginagamit ang rules sa tama, morally, legally, to ensure na hindi agawin ang mga committees para po matuloy ang hearing ng Blue Ribbon sa Thursday at ang iba't iba pang mga importanteng hearing sa bawat committee,” he said.

Among the investigations he cited was the Senate inquiry into alleged anomalies involving flood control projects, which he said must continue in the interest of public accountability.

"[We cannot] allow the flood control issue, the biggest corruption issue in our history, to go unchecked," he said.

Cayetano underscored the need for an independent and objective investigation, noting that many questions remain unanswered, including the extent of alleged ghost projects, substandard infrastructure, and whether similar issues exist nationwide.

"Hindi po ito masasagot kung wala tayong independent, impartial na hearing," he said.

The Senate President also reaffirmed the Majority bloc’s commitment to conducting an impeachment trial that is independent, evidence-based, and in accordance with established procedures.

"We want an independent impeachment. Magaganap po 'yan na walang mga scheme, sinister plot. Basta kung ano'ng ebidensya, lalabas y’ung ebidensya," Cayetano said.

He stressed that both sides in the impeachment proceedings must be given the opportunity to present their evidence before senator-judges weigh the merits of the case.

"The prosecution dapat ang lumatag ng ebidensya nila to convict. Ang defense ang dapat lumatag ng ebidensya nila para ma-acquit. Ang senator-judges naman ang dapat mag-examine ng mga ebidensya," he said.

Cayetano concluded by emphasizing that the Senate should continue fulfilling its legislative and oversight responsibilities while remaining focused on uncovering the truth.

"Uulitin ko po: kailangan tingnan natin ang nangyayari sa Senado sa mas malaking konteksto ng katotohanan," he said.