MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said he was not sure whether he would be the shortest serving Senate chief in Philippine history as he claimed that groups are ganging up on him.
Cayetano on May 11 unseated Senate president Vicente Sotto III after securing 13 votes, including the "crucial" vote of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa who went out of hiding after six months to help install the former.
"We do feel the forces ganging up on us," Cayetano told a group of pastors during a prayer meeting. "I know for a fact that this is an assembly of people who love God and who want to submit to God."
Last week, he claimed that there were attempts to remove him as Senate chief.
"What I do not know is if it is the beginning of my journey as the Senate president or this is a 'despedida' (farewell party) because unlike the office of the mayor, the office of the barangay chairperson, the Office of the President, which are elected by the constituents, the Senate president serves at the pleasure of the majority of the Senate [members]," he said.
"Yesterday, someone sent me that the shortest serving Senate president served for 13 days. So, I'm not sure if I'll survive the 13 days or we'll last only for 7, 8, days. But what I do know is this: one day I will leave this office, maybe today, maybe a month from now, maybe after the impeachment. Who knows? But what matters is what I do in the middle," Cayetano said.
