Cayetano says Senate bent to convene as impeach court on Monday ~ HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS

Friday, May 15, 2026

Cayetano says Senate bent to convene as impeach court on Monday

Friday, May 15, 2026 Herbert Curia - Promoter No comments

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Trillanes, Jonvic Remulla clash over ICC arrest order

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Cayetano says Senate bent to convene as impeach court on Monday

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has assured the public that the new Senate majority bloc is bent on convening as an impeachment court by Monday, contrary to what some believe that the change in leadership is connected to an attempt to stop the process.

Cayetano in a livestream on Friday, posted on his Facebook page, said that the Senate’s decision to receive the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte last Wednesday — even in the midst of tensions and eventual gunfire — should have been a signal that they are serious in tackling the matter.

According to Cayetano, they are not going to make decisions out of political leanings or affiliations.

“We received the impeachment amid the chaos last Wednesday night, I signed the letter yesterday, sent it to the House of Representatives, they have received it, and it is stated in the letter that under the rules of the Senate, it is included in the order of business on Monday, and if there are no questions on the rules, and in our caucus they agreed that there would be no questions rules […] therefore we can already convene as an impeachment court on Monday,” Cayetano said in a mix of Filipino and English.

“So all of the things being thrown at us, that the leadership change happened just to protect one person, is not true. We would not convict because of politics, we would not acquit because of politics. The Constitution requires an impartial impeachment trial, and that’s what we intend to do,” he added in Filipino.

Cayetano said that Filipinos can expect that the focus on Monday, May 18, will be about the impeachment court. However, he also asked how the chamber could maintain security when Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Ma.O Aplasca was suspended by the Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“I also heard that he (Remulla) issued a suspension against General Mao. Assuming for the sake of argument that it is a valid suspension, and the reason is preventive suspension so that the investigation would not be affected, number one there is a duty to inform us so that we can replace, so that we can make sure that the Senate is safe,” Cayetano explained.

“Remember the impeachment is going to start on Monday, on Monday, so how can we secure and make sure that the impeachment proceedings pushes through, and that we would not be bothered and eventually accused of anything?” he asked.

Earlier, Remulla said he has signed a recommendation to place Aplasca on a six-month preventive suspension following the shooting incident in the Senate last Wednesday night.

In a press conference on Friday, Remulla said that the preventive suspension is “meant to make things easier for us to get to the bottom of this.”

On Wednesday night — two days after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa suddenly showed up at the Senate’s plenary session after a six-month absence — the country was rocked with reports of gunfire inside the Senate’s halls.

The exchange came amid rumors that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel will serve an arrest order against dela Rosa, based on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the crimes against humanity charges against him.

This was for dela Rosa’s role in the past administration’s drug war.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla separately said that Aplasca was the first to discharge his firearm.

Eventually, Aplasca admitted that he did fire the first warning shot, reasoning out that it is unusual for NBI agents not to coordinate with them when they are in the vicinity — even if they are in the adjacent Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) building.

Both the Senate building and the GSIS building are located within the GSIS complex in Pasay City.

In the same livestream, Cayetano urged Remulla to suspend NBI Director Melvin Matibag if he is going to suspend Aplasca, claiming that the NBI chief is more of a suspect than the acting Sergeant-at-Arms

According to Cayetano, any person would have acted the same as Aplasca — giving a verbal warning and then a warning shot — if armed men in tactical gear were approaching their home.

Senators have rushed to Aplasca’s defense. Aside from Cayetano, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said the Majority bloc stands behind the Sergeant-at-Arms, saying that the actions taken were justifiable.

In a phone interview with reporters covering the Senate, Estrada was first asked if Aplasca overreacted when he fired a warning shot against an NBI personnel.

Estrada said that it was just a warning shot because they have heard reports that armed elements will enter the Senate soon.

Last Wednesday, before the gunshots were heard, the House of Representatives transmitted the articles of impeachment against Duterte.

Duterte was impeached for a second time on Friday, after 257 lawmakers voted in favor of adopting House Resolution No. 989 which contains the committee report and the articles of impeachment. Only 25 lawmakers voted in the negative, while nine abstained. /jpv