MANILA, Philippines — Senator Pia Cayetano voiced her dismay toward the privilege speech of Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday regarding the shooting incident at the Senate last week. Cayetano responded to Hontiveros’ remarks in disappointment, expressing her fear and anxiety at the time.
“Parang walang nangyari. ‘Yan po ang statement ng ating butihing Senadora Risa Hontiveros. Siguro po para sa mga inyong wala dito. Pero para sa amin na nandito, napakaraming nangyari,” the senator stated in tears.
Cayetano recounted the events that transpired during the incident, claiming she felt the need to bid farewell to her children due to intense fear.
The senator criticized the insensitivity of the statement made by the senator from the Minority toward those who were present at the time of the shooting.
She also alleged that her long-time colleagues in the minority bloc did not bother to check on them following the incident, emotionally stating the heavy toll it took on her.
“Some of you I’ve known for 20 years, 10 years and I didn’t even hear any of you say, ‘Kumusta na kayo dyan?’ Napakasakit nu’n sa akin, sobrang sakit,” the senator added.
In response, Senator Hontiveros clarified that her previous remarks pertained to the institution’s collective mandate to act rather than a dismissal of the senator's personal trauma.
“When I stated that it feels as though—now—it feels now as though ‘walang nangyari,’ I was not speaking about our personal feelings. I was speaking about our institutional posture. Our grief as senators is valid, but our mandate requires action,” Hontiveros said.
Members of the Senate Minority also shared their reactions following the session's suspension.
Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, who personally approached Cayetano, lightly mentioned that he was among the first to ensure the safety of the senators present during the incident.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson took a swipe at Cayetano's emotional statement through a satirical post on X.
“Quote of the day: ‘No one checked on us!’” he wrote. “How could you even check on people who seemed happily eating, drinking coffee, and even going on Facebook Live, while accusing the minority bloc of supposedly knowing something about the gunfires in the Senate?” Lacson added, reacting to the post-incident photo of the senators.
Contrary to Cayetano's statement, screenshots of the Senate WhatsApp Group Chat (GC) circulating online showed four members from the Senate Minority who sent supportive messages inquiring about everyone's safety.
Written by Ashraf Indanan
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