THE Senate majority bloc is ready for any “dirty tricks” that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano may attempt during a special session that may be called, Sen. Panfilo Lacson has said.
Lacson said everyone, except Cayetano and his allies, recognizes Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the Senate’s leader; Cayetano has shown he is capable of doing anything to preserve his perceived power.
“Members of the majority bloc are ready with contingencies in case he makes a scene. We have discussed measures that I am not at liberty to divulge,” Lacson said in a radio interview.
“I have emphasized to the majority bloc to not underestimate him because he is capable of dirty tricks. He doesn’t care about the institution; he only cares about himself,” Lacson said in English and Filipino.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the senators should resolve first the leadership issue at the Senate before he calls a special session to pass important measures, including the supplemental budget for the rehabilitation of communities in Mindanao devastated by the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
Lacson said he is not ruling out the possibility of Cayetano trying to seize the podium at the special session, saying Cayetano is “capable” of doing that because “mahilig siya sa ganyan (he’s fond of doing that).”
Once the special session is convened, Cayetano should refrain from disrupting the proceedings, and join other senators in debating on the floor instead of on Facebook.
Sen. Joel Villanueva also expressed readiness to attend a special session that may be called by the president.
Villanueva made the remark Sunday in a video message to his family in the Jesus Is Lord Church.
“Sa pagkakataon po na magkaroon ng special session tutuparin po natin ang ating sagradong tungkulin sa ilalim ng ating Saligang batas (In the event that we’ll have a special session, we will fulfill our sacred duty under the Constitution). We will be there,” he said.
Villanueva has not responded to insinuations that he will join the new 12-member majority bloc headed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
On June 3, Cayetano was ousted as Senate president after Sen. Francis Escudero switched to Gatchalian’s group.
Escudero’s move created a quorum, ending three days of impasse over the refusal of Cayetano and his allies to attend Senate sessions.
Cayetano has insisted he is still the Senate chief because, under the Constitution, Gatchalian needed 13 votes to be elected Senate president.
Villanueva deplored that Senate employees were affected by the power struggle.
Lacson said he hopes that the special session will finally settle the Senate leadership issue.
Lacson said he appreciated and admired Villanueva’s stand to attend the special session as a matter of his sacred duty.
He said this was the same stand taken by Escudero when he switched sides.
