Former UP student leaders call for Cayetano’s resignation

MANILA, Philippines – Former student leaders and activists from the University of the Philippines Diliman called for Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s resignation.

Student formations Samasa and Nagkaisang Tugon said Cayetano showed a “profound failure in judgment, leadership, and institutional responsibility” in recent Senate history. Cayetano was a student leader during his time at the university. He ran under Tugon.

“When even one’s own political roots and former allies publicly repudiate one’s leadership, it reflects a profound belief that institutional and democratic boundaries have been dangerously crossed,” the coalition said.

Last week, chaos in the Senate erupted following Cayetano’s takeover as senate president.

Under Cayetano’s leadership, the Senate put Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with a crimes against humanity case, under protective custody. Dela Rosa eventually fled the Senate, evaded arrest by authorities.

“You cannot invoke the Senate’s institutional powers to shield someone from arrest, insist that you are now responsible for his custody and safety, obstruct or delay lawful enforcement efforts, and then later shrug your shoulders when the person disappears,” the groups said in a joint statement Saturday, May 16.

“If Cayetano still possesses a sense of political responsibility and yes, shame, he should recognize the damage he and this episode have done to the Senate,” the statement read. More than a hundred alumni signed the statement.

Cayetano was not the only senator on the receiving end of calls for accountability from alumni in recent days. Students and alumni from Assumption College and an organization from University of the Philippines Diliman urged Senator Loren Legarda to reflect on values she once stood for. Legarda was one of the 13 senators who voted for Cayetano as senate president.

“He (Cayetano) must – of his own accord or by force from his peers – resign,” the formations demanded in the statement.

The change in Senate leadership last week came after the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time. The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court on Monday, May 18. – Rappler.com