With Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano attempting to lead the Senate through Facebook livestreams while boycotting its regular sessions, the Senate is indeed under attack – but by its own leadership, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.

Lacson said Cayetano has been issuing notices suspending sessions and relaying other instructions to staff and subordinates only verbally, ensuring such questionable decisions would leave no paper trail.

“WHAT A MESS! Where else can we find a Senate President who boycotts the regular sessions of a chamber which he is supposed to preside, then delivers speeches on Facebook instead of the Senate floor before his peers so we can interpellate him?” Lacson said in a post on X.

In Filipino: Lacson: Dahil sa Magulong ‘FB Leadership’ ni Cayetano, Under Attack Nga ang Senado – ng Sariling Liderato

WHAT A MESS! Where else can we find a Senate President who boycotts the regular sessions of a chamber which he is supposed to preside, then delivers speeches on Facebook instead of the Senate floor before his peers so we can interpellate him?

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) June 2, 2026

“The Senate is under attack but by its own leadership. Cayetano had claimed last May that the Senate was under attack. The Senate is indeed under attack but the one doing the attacking is the present leadership and that is sad,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.

On Tuesday, Lacson and fellow members of the Senate minority bloc demanded Cayetano’s resignation as Senate President following the majority bloc’s continued absence from the Senate’s session.

Citing information reaching him, Lacson said Cayetano verbally told the majority bloc members that the session was suspended, but only verbally and without any formal notice. Such an action runs counter to senators’ constitutional duty to do legislative work, he said.

“He would just notify senators’ staff that the session is suspended when it’s not. We never received any notice to the effect, in accordance with our procedures. Cayetano did not do that because he does not want a paper trail of his violations,” he said.

Also, he said Cayetano’s boycotting of the sessions may be considered dereliction of duty – and could be a basis for a complaint lodged by any taxpayer before the Senate ethics committee.

“Plain and simple, his actions amount to dereliction of duty because we have a duty to perform but he is not doing it. The disciplinary mechanism for this is the ethics committee. Any citizen of this country may file a complaint so long as the complaint has sufficient basis,” he said.

He appealed anew to members of the majority bloc to attend Wednesday’s session, the last session day before the Senate adjourns sine die, because there are many items to be taken up.

Even if Cayetano and other presiding officers – the Senate President Pro Tempore, majority leader and deputy majority leaders – boycott the session again but there is a quorum, he said those present on the floor can designate a presiding officer so they can “open the session, convene and conduct business, which is the right thing to do.”

Lacson also rejected Cayetano’s claim that the minority bloc planned to take over key Senate committees, saying that was just his imagination and an excuse to justify his actions.

“He’s ruining the Senate. It’s become a shame to the Filipino people,” he said.

“You’re the Senate President, you should set the right and good example. But you’re setting a bad example,” he added.

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Lacson: Dahil sa Magulong ‘FB Leadership’ ni Cayetano, Under Attack Nga ang Senado – ng Sariling Liderato

Sa pagtatangka ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano na pamunuan ang Senado sa pamamagitan ng Facebook Live habang bina-boycott ang mga regular na sesyon nito, under attack nga ang Senado — ng sarili nitong liderato, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules.

Ani Lacson, naglalabas si Cayetano ng mga abiso tungkol sa pagsuspinde ng mga sesyon at iba pang mga direktiba sa mga kawani at tauhan sa pamamagitan lamang ng verbal na utos, na nagtitiyak na walang maiiwang resibo ng mga kuwestiyonableng desisyong ito.

“WHAT A MESS! Where else can we find a Senate President who boycotts the regular sessions of a chamber which he is supposed to preside, then delivers speeches on Facebook instead of the Senate floor before his peers so we can interpellate him?” ani Lacson sa isang post sa X.

“The Senate is under attack, but by its own leadership. Yung sinabi niya na the Senate was under attack… pero talagang ang Senado is under attack – pero ang nag-a-attack sa amin, yung sa liderato ng Senado, yan ang malungkot,” dagdag niya sa isang panayam sa DZMM radio.

Noong Martes, hiniling nina Lacson at ng iba pang miyembro ng Senate minority bloc ang pagbibitiw ni Cayetano bilang Senate President matapos ang patuloy na pagliban ng majority bloc sa sesyon ng Senado.

Batay sa impormasyong natanggap niya, sinabi ni Lacson na pasalita lamang ang ipinaabot ni Cayetano sa mga miyembro ng majority bloc na suspendido ang sesyon, nang walang anumang pormal na abiso. Aniya, taliwas ito sa konstitusyonal na tungkulin ng mga senador na gampanan ang kanilang gawaing lehislatibo.

“Sinasabihan niya lang ang staff ng senador, o suspended ang session, pero ang totoo hindi suspended kaya nga kami nandoon wala kaming notice. Dapat meron din kaming notice na suspended. So hindi niya magawa yan kasi i-document niya ang kanyang kasalanan,” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya, ang pag-boycott ni Cayetano sa mga sesyon ay maaaring ituring na dereliction of duty at maaaring magsilbing batayan ng reklamong ihahain ng sinumang nagbabayad ng buwis sa Senate ethics committee.

“Plain and simple, dereliction of duty kasi may duty to perform na hindi ginagawa. (Ang) disciplinary mechanism namin is ang ethics committee. So any citizen of this country pwede maghain ng reklamo against whoever na may sufficient basis na i-reklamo,” aniya.

Muli rin siyang nanawagan sa mga miyembro ng majority bloc na dumalo sa sesyon nitong Miyerkules, ang huling araw ng sesyon bago mag-adjourn sine die ang Senado, dahil marami pang mga panukala at usaping dapat talakayin.

Aniya, kahit muling i-boycott nina Cayetano at ng iba pang presiding officers — kabilang ang Senate President Pro Tempore, majority leader, at deputy majority leaders — ang sesyon, maaari pa ring magtalaga ng presiding officer ang mga senador na naroroon sa plenaryo kung may quorum upang “open the session, convene and conduct business, which is the right thing to do.”

Pinasubalian din ni Lacson ang pahayag ni Cayetano na plano ng minority bloc na kontrolin ang mahahalagang komite ng Senado, at sinabing bunga lamang iyon ng kanyang imahinasyon at isa lamang dahilan upang bigyang-katwiran ang kanyang mga ginagawa.

“Puro kabastusan ang ginagawa. Binababoy talaga yung Senado. Nakakahiya na sa madlang people,” aniya.

“Ikaw dapat ang huwaran kasi ikaw ang Senate President. Set the right and good example. Ang sine-set ang example masama eh,” dagdag niya.

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