Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has called on the minority bloc to join forces in defending the independence and integrity of the Senate amid ongoing controversies and external pressures facing the institution.
Cayetano made the statement following the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division’s order to arrest Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
According to Cayetano, it is crucial to preserve the Senate’s independence as a separate and co-equal branch of government.
“The Senate is a co-equal branch of government. It is not a prize to be claimed — by anyone,” Cayetano emphasized.
He noted that while disagreements exist within the chamber, these should be resolved internally rather than through outside influence. The Senate President also stressed that the legal status of senators and the institution’s independence should never be used as bargaining chips in political negotiations.
“I am speaking truth that each senator already knows — the independence of this institution, and the legal standing of any of its members, are not currencies. The day they become things to be traded, is the day that the Senate is diminished. And after the Senate, the Republic,” he warned.
Cayetano explained that the Senate is facing a challenge deeper than a simple political disagreement—it is a matter of the institution’s ability to remain independent against outside pressure and influence.
In line with this, he highlighted the continuous pressure and threats of arrest looming over members of the majority bloc, including Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Rodante Marcoleta, and Joel Villanueva.
He also brought up the incidents of May 11 and May 13, pointing out that the Senate and its staff are the ones being investigated, while the roles played by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the new Minority bloc—which caused tension inside the chamber—are being overlooked.
Cayetano lamented that instead of jailing the masterminds behind the “flood scam” involving Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, led by Henry Alcantara, the senators themselves have become the targets.
He emphasized the need to ensure that investigations and legal proceedings against Senate members are not weaponized for political pressure. Once fear and political interference take root, he warned, the independence of the Senate as a pillar of democracy is compromised.
“So I put one question to you, not as the majority but as the chamber: will you stand for the Senate’s independence?” Cayetano challenged the minority bloc.
He urged his colleagues to stand up for the Senate as an institution, rather than serving the interests of any political group or alliance.
As a symbolic move against external interference, Cayetano proposed a “deliberate act” of silence for the chamber.
“I am asking you to join one deliberate act — to let the Senate go quiet, together and by choice, so the country is made to ask why a co-equal branch would fall silent rather than be made to serve,” he added.
Ultimately, Cayetano said the responsibility to protect the institution lies in the hands of every senator.
“The door is open. What you do with it is yours to answer — to this institution, and to the people watching it,” he concluded.
