Regardless of what one’s political side or persuasion may be, the leadership change at the Senate on Monday was ugly, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.
Lacson said that while he understood the reason for the now-majority’s surprise move, the accompanying drama – including Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s claim of being pursued and “wrestled” by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – was an unpleasant sight.
He also said Sen. Lorna Regina Legarda, who replaced him as Senate President Pro Tempore after Monday’s leadership change, could have at least informed the then majority, or then Senate President Vicente Sotto III, of her decision.
“Any way you look at it, regardless of your political persuasion, what happened on Monday was ugly. It was an unpleasant sight,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
In Filipino: Lacson: ‘Pangit’ ang Leadership Change sa Senado, Anuman ang Panig sa Pulitika
He noted that tradition dictates that once a bloc secures at least 13 senators, its members approach the sitting Senate President at noon and formally inform him/her that they have the numbers to effect a leadership change.
The sitting Senate President would then ensure a smooth transition by voluntarily stepping down at the start of the session, and even nominate his/her would-be replacement. The outgoing and incoming Senate Presidents would even vote for each other.
But Lacson said he understood now-Senate President Alan Cayetano’s move not to approach then Senate President Vicente Sotto III due to “security” reasons as they had to secure Sen. Ronald dela Rosa – who is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
Also, he noted that a Senate coup or change of leadership may be considered as a continuing effort and is “as common as the daily sessions in the Senate.”
“A Senate coup, like rebellion under Philippine jurisprudence, is a ‘continuing crime,'” he said on X.
A Senate coup, like rebellion under Philippine jurisprudence is a “continuing crime”.
— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) May 12, 2026
Sad over Legarda and ‘Political Reality’
Lacson said that while they accepted “political reality,” he felt sad that Legarda, one of the original members of the Sotto-led minority, and later majority, opted to join the new majority without informing them first.
He said that when Senators JV Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian opted to join them to form the majority at the time, they went to then Senate President Francis Escudero first to formally inform him of their decision.
“My sentiment and I think my colleagues in the former majority share this, it is sad that Sen. Legarda, one of our originals in the former majority, did not inform us of her decision,” he said.
“I am not taking anything away from her decision to join Sen. Cayetano but we just hoped she would at least have told us, instead of surprising us,” he said.
When asked whether this had anything to do with her son Rep. Leandro Leviste, he said that was not the point. “The point is, she should have told us, even if it was one minute before the session started.”
Bato ‘contained’
Lacson said that with dela Rosa’s entry to the Senate grounds, he is “effectively contained.”
“Sen. Dela Rosa’s problem is that while his freedom was limited when he was outside the Senate, he still had his freedom. Now that he’s in the Senate, he is effectively contained because once he goes out, there is the unsealed warrant of the International Criminal Court, but that’s another story,” he said.
He also said dela Rosa’s is a novel case that can set a good legal precedent as to whether a domestic or Philippine court’s order is mandatory for the enforcement of the ICC warrant.
Lacson also questioned any “mutual agreement” between the Senate leadership and law enforcement agencies on dela Rosa’s custody, saying there is already an arrest warrant.
On the other hand, he questioned the new Senate leadership’s move to cite in contempt of the Senate the NBI agents who pursued dela Rosa through the Senate hallways, saying their “offense” must simultaneously be committed while they are in the Senate, for them to be cited for direct contempt.
If the “offense” is not simultaneous and did not occur during a committee hearing, they should be cited for indirect contempt and ordered to show cause and explain why they should not be cited in direct contempt.
“To me, that is procedurally wrong,” he said, noting that during the Blue Ribbon hearings on the flood control anomalies, the committee did not immediately cite contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II in contempt but first told him to explain why he was lying to the panel.
“What happened Monday was procedurally faulty. The alleged offense of pursuing dela Rosa was already finished, before the motion to cite them in contempt of the Senate was made and immediately approved,” he added.
*****
Lacson: ‘Pangit’ ang Leadership Change sa Senado, Anuman ang Panig sa Pulitika
Anuman ang panig o paniniwalang pampulitika ng isang tao, naging pangit ang pagbabago sa liderato ng Senado noong Lunes, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes.
Sinabi ni Lacson na bagama’t nauunawaan niya ang dahilan ng biglaang hakbang ng ngayo’y bagong mayorya, hindi naging maganda ang dramang sumabay dito – kabilang ang pahayag ni Sen. Ronald dela Rosa na siya ay hinabol ng mga ahente ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Dagdag niya, maaari sanang ipinaalam ni Sen. Lorna Regina Legarda – na pumalit sa kanya bilang Senate President Pro Tempore matapos ang pagbabago sa liderato noong Lunes – ang kanyang desisyon sa noo’y mayorya o kay noo’y Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
“Any way you look at it, maski anong political persuasion ang pinanggagalingan mo, ang nangyari kahapon was ugly. Napaka-unpleasant na sight,” aniya sa panayam sa DZMM radio.
Ipinaliwanag niya na ayon sa tradisyon, kapag nakakuha na ng hindi bababa sa 13 senador ang isang bloke, nilalapitan nila ang nakaupong Senate President pagsapit ng tanghali upang pormal na ipaalam na sapat na ang kanilang bilang upang magsagawa ng pagbabago sa liderato.
Tinitiyak naman ng nakaupong Senate President ang maayos na transisyon sa pamamagitan ng boluntaryong pagbaba sa puwesto sa pagsisimula ng sesyon, at maaari pa niyang i-nominate ang kanyang magiging kapalit. Maging ang papalabas at papasok na Senate President ay bumoboto pa umano sa isa’t isa.
Gayunman, sinabi ni Lacson na nauunawaan niya ang naging hakbang ni ngayo’y Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano na huwag lapitan noon si Senate President Sotto dahil sa mga “security” concern, lalo na’t kailangan nilang tiyakin ang seguridad ni dela Rosa, na may arrest warrant mula sa International Criminal Court.
Dagdag ni Lacson, ang isang Senate coup o leadership change ay maaaring maituturing na “continuing effort.” Aniya, ito ay “as common as the daily sessions in the Senate.”
“A Senate coup, like rebellion under Philippine jurisprudence, is a ‘continuing crime,'” ani Lacson sa X.
Nalungkot kay Legarda at sa ‘Political Reality’
Ani Lacson, bagama’t tinanggap nila ang “political reality,” nalungkot siya na si Legarda – isa sa mga orihinal na kasapi ng Sotto-led minority na naging majority – ay piniling sumama sa bagong mayorya nang hindi muna nagpapaalam sa kanila.
Binanggit niya na noong nagpasya sina Senators JV Ejercito at Sherwin Gatchalian na sumama sa kanilang grupo upang mabuo ang mayorya noon, una nilang nilapitan si noo’y Senate President Francis Escudero upang pormal na ipaalam ang kanilang desisyon.
“Ang sentiment namin and I think my colleagues in the former majority na nasa minority ngayon share nila sentiment ko na medyo mabigat lang sa dibdib namin si Sen. Legarda na talagang original na kasama namin mulat sapul nabulaga kami,” aniya.
“I am not taking anything away from her decision to join Sen. Cayetano but we just hoped she would at least have told us, instead of surprising us,” dagdag niya.
Nang tanungin kung may kinalaman dito ang kanyang anak na si Rep. Leandro Leviste, sinabi ni Lacson na hindi iyon ang punto.
“Ang point sana nagpaalam ng maayos. Maski 1 min before session sana binulungan si Sen. Tito kung di man lang kami, at least si VST sabi na lang pasensya na kasi ganito reason ko,” aniya.
Bato ‘Contained’
Ayon kay Lacson, dahil nasa loob na ng Senado si dela Rosa, siya ay “effectively contained.”
“Ang problema ni Bato dela Rosa, nang nasa labas siya, limited ang kanyang galaw but he was enjoying freedom niya. Kasi maski hindi siya freely nakakagalaw, at least malaki ang galawan niya. Ngayon pumasok na siya sa Senado, he is effectively contained kasi oras na lumabas siya lalo confirmed nang nandiyan na unsealed arrest warrant but that’s another story,” aniya.
Sinabi rin niya na ang kaso ni dela Rosa ay isang bagong sitwasyon na maaaring magsilbing mahalagang legal precedent kung kinakailangan ba ang utos mula sa lokal o Philippine court bago maipatupad ang warrant ng ICC.
Kinuwestiyon din ni Lacson ang anumang “mutual agreement” sa pagitan ng liderato ng Senado at mga law enforcement agency hinggil sa kustodiya ni dela Rosa, dahil mayroon nang umiiral na arrest warrant.
Samantala, kinuwestiyon din niya ang hakbang ng bagong liderato ng Senado na i-cite in contempt of the Senate ang mga ahente ng NBI na humabol kay dela Rosa sa mga hallway ng Senado. Aniya, kinakailangang sabay na naganap ang “offense” habang nasa Senado sila upang ma-cite for direct contempt.
Kung hindi sabay na naganap ang “offense” at wala naman sa isang committee hearing, dapat ay indirect contempt ang isinampa at inatasan muna silang magpaliwanag kung bakit hindi sila dapat ma-cite in direct contempt, aniya.
“Sa akin procedurally mali yan,” sabi niya, at binanggit na noong mga pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon hinggil sa flood control anomalies, hindi agad ni-cite in contempt ng komite si contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II kundi una muna itong pinapaliwanag hinggil sa umano’y pagsisinungaling nito sa panel.
“Kaya ang nangyari kahapon procedurally faulty. Di tama yan. Natapos na ang sinasabing alleged offense ng NBI agents sa paghabol kay Sen dela Rosa tapos may motion to cite in contempt of the Senate agad in-approve,” dagdag niya.
*****