Coup vs. Sotto? Alan Cayetano says ‘there’s always a possibility’

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said that the new Senate minority bloc is not actively encouraging colleagues amid rumors of another leadership shakeup, but said that there is always a possibility for such. 

In an ambush interview, Cayetano said that “the minority wants to be the majority, [but] the majority never wants to be the minority.”

“May timing ‘yan eh. Kaka-upo lang nila, syempre solid pa sila. Hindi pa namin napag-usapan sa minority na kung meron mang papalit, sino. Pumayag sila na ako ang minority leader. Wala pang nag-uusap as a group kung sino ang Senate President,” he said in an ambush interview. 

(There’s a timing for such. They just sat down, of course they are still solid. We have not yet discussed in the minority who will be the next Senate President if someone has to take over. They just agreed that I should be the minority leader, but it hasn’t been discussed as a group who should be the Senate President.) 

“Ngayon, kung may discontent sa 15 [senador], problema nila ‘yun, hindi namin problema ‘yun. So sila nag-bring up, tapos sila din babaril, sila din magsasabing may plot. Eh sila nga nagpa-plot, election pa lang sinasabi nga papalitan nila si Senator Escudero,” he added. 

(Now, if there is discontent among the 15 senators, then that is their problem, it is not our problem. They were the ones who brought it up, but they were also the ones who would say that there is a plot. In fact, they are the ones who have been plotting since the elections. They were saying that they would replace Senator Escudero.) 

Cayetano also told the majority bloc, led by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, to “mind their own business.” 

“We are minding our own business with all due respect, Mr. Majority, mind your own business also. Wag niyong pakialaman ang minority, pakialaman niyo ang sarili niyong mga problema [don't bother us in the minority, just mind your own problems],” he said. 

Pressed if the minority is actively plotting a coup d'état, Cayetano said, “There is always a possibility.”

“So ‘pag lumapit sa amin ngayon, siyam kami, ‘pag lumapit sa’min apat at sinabi majority [kami] tatanggihan namin? Pero ako, ni isang senador na majority, wala akong kinausap,” he explained. 

(There’s nine of us, but if another four senators approach us and say they want to join us, should we reject it? But personally, I didn’t approach any senator in the majority.) 

‘Solid majority’

Sotto, for his part, believes that the 15-member Senate majority bloc remains solid amid the coup rumors.  

“The Senate president is always in office because of the trust and confidence of his colleagues. We serve at the pleasure of our colleagues. So if there if there are majority from the Senate who want a different Senate President, what can we do? So be it,” Sotto said in a separate ambush interview 

The new Senate majority bloc on Monday held its first caucus a week after Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III replaced Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero as Senate President. 

In a photo shared by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri to members of the media, 12 out of 15 members of the majority bloc were seen together over lunch. 

Cayetano, meanwhile, said that the nine-member Senate minority bloc also held a caucus earlier this day. — BM, GMA Integrated News