Pimentel: Hontiveros should lead CA minority as Cayetano appears to be majority member

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Friday supported Senator Risa Hontiveros' assertion that she should lead the Commission on Appointments (CA) minority bloc as Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was declared a member of the majority in the Senate's communications to the bicameral commission.

In a virtual interview with reporters, Pimentel said he was concerned over Cayetano's election as the CA minority leader, explaining that the post should be led by someone who was a declared member of the minority, either in the House of Representatives or in the Senate.

"Immaterial na 'yung mga points na 'yon ni Senator Cayetano kung member siya ng minority bloc [sa Senate] o hindi... Nakita ko 'yung communication ng Senate eh. So may factual basis si Senator Risa Hontiveros to say na from the communication of the Senate to the CA, siya lamang ang member ng minority from the Senate. So yun ang aking point na dapat ang minority leader ng CA will come from the named minority members of either House," Pimentel said.

In the formal communication to the CA, Pimentel said Cayetano was included in the list of members in the Senate's majority bloc.

On Wednesday, Hontiveros said she will not acknowledge Cayetano as the CA minority leader due to the vagueness of his membership in the Senate minority bloc.

Although she said her apprehension is not about one particular individual, Hontiveros argued that the rules in the Senate and the CA were set for the members to follow and for them to assume their particular roles.

In an interview Thursday, Cayetano insisted that he is part of the "independent minority" but not the bloc composed of Pimentel and Hontiveros.

Cayetano said that he is an automatic member of the minority because he did not vote for fellow legislator Juan Miguel Zubiri for Senate President.

He then accused Hontiveros of prioritizing positions over the welfare of the country.

But Hontiveros, in a statement Friday, refuted Cayetano's accusations, saying the issue is not about positions but the strengthening of checks and balances.

"Nais kong bigyang diin na hindi ito tungkol sa pagkakaroon ng posisyon. Ito ay tungkol sa pagtataguyod ng mga prinsipyo ng checks and balances kung saan ang isang tunay na minorya ay mahalaga sa pagpapanatili at pagpapatibay ng demokrasya," Hontiveros said.

The opposition lawmaker said principles should not be bent as this will help the country build their trust not only in their public servants but in government institutions.

"Hindi ba kayang maging independent si Sen. Alan, o majority, o minority, at manatili dito? O gusto niya talaga ay lahat-lahat?" she said.

"Syempre, pwede rin namang sabihin ni Sen. Alan na nagmamalasakit siya para sa demokrasya, ngunit dahil sa ginawa niya sa CA, marami pa siyang dapat patunayan," she added.

Hontiveros also commented on Cayetano's mention of "yellow cults" in his interview on Thursday.

Cayetano said the problem with the "dilawans" is that individuals whose beliefs are not aligned with them cannot be considered members of the opposition.

"Sang-ayon naman ako kay Sen. Alan na hindi exclusive club ang minority. Laging tayong may puwang para sa mga nagmamalasakit sa Pilipinas. Pero yung mga diskusyon tungkol sa kulay at kulto, iwan na lang siguro natin sa troll armies at bots. Mas bagay yun doon," Hontiveros responded.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, who also sits as the chairperson of the CA, said earlier that Cayetano is considered a member of the minority as rules dictate that those who did not vote for the winning Senate president are considered members of the minority.

"So in the declaration of the members of the CA... I spoke and put on record that he (Cayetano) is actually an independent member of the Senate," he said.

During the opening of the 19th Congress in July, Cayetano along with his sister, Senator Pia Cayetano, did not vote for Zubiri as the Senate president.

Although by tradition, those who did not vote for the winning Senate president will automatically become members of the minority, the Cayetano siblings manifested on the floor that they will be part of the so-called independent bloc. — DVM, GMA News