Sen. Pia Cayetano became emotional on Wednesday, May 20, as she claimed no one from the minority bloc checked on members of the majority after the shooting incident inside the Senate complex on May 13.
“Wala akong sinisisi pero pagkatapos ng lahat, pagtingin ko ng group natin, ‘yung dating majority group—wala ni isang nangamusta sa amin,” Cayetano said. “Some of you, I’ve known for 20 years, 10 years and I didn't hear anyone of you say, ‘Kumusta na kayo diyan?’ Napakasakit sa akin. Sobrang sakit.”
This follows the criticism of Sen. Risa Hontiveros about the Senate’s apparent “return to normalcy” after the shooting incident.
“Halos isang linggo na matapos ang habulan at barilan dito sa Senado. Sa loob-loob ko, hindi ako mapanatag na simula noong Lunes, ang ipinapakita natin ay para bang walang nangyari, na para bang hindi nabastos ang ating institusyon, ang ating mga empleyado, at ang mga Pilipino,” Hontiveros said in her privilege speech.
Hontiveros added that what happened at the Senate was not insignificant.
In response, Cayetano recalled the fear she and her colleagues felt during the incident.
“Siguro para sa inyong wala dito pero para sa amin na nandito, napakaraming nangyari. Takot na takot po ako na kailangan ko na magpaalam sa mga anak ko,” Cayetano said.
“Kaya para sabihin niyo na walang nangyari, napakasakit para sa aming lahat na nandito,” she added.
Hontiveros, however, clarified that her statement was directed at the Senate’s institutional response in the days after the incident, not about the personal experiences of those inside the building.
“When I stated, ‘It feels now as though parang walang nangyari,’ I was not speaking about our personal feelings. I was speaking about our institutional posture,” Hontiveros said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Erwin Tulfo cleared the minority bloc of any involvement in the Senate shooting, emphasizing that their early departure on May 13 absolved them of any connection to the incident.
Tulfo also refuted Cayetano's allegation that there was no communication between the minority bloc and the majority.
“We have a WhatsApp group chat that includes all members of both the majority and minority blocs. Messages were sent there by Sen. Kiko, Sen. Bam, Sen. Sherwin and me,” Tulfo clarified in an interview with GMA's Unang Balita.
According to him, he sent his own message at around 9:57 p.m. on the night of the incident, writing, “Praying for all of you.”
Written by Czairine Quimoyog, Insight PH
Czairine Quimoyog, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
