Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines
SENATOR Panfilo Lacson expressed deep disappointment over the recent Senate leadership change, saying the most painful part was not the shift in power itself, but the unexpected and unannounced departure of longtime ally Senator Loren Legarda.
Alongside former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Lacson admitted feeling hurt after Legarda joined the move to oust Sotto and install Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate leader — a decision she made without even a heads‑up to her former closest allies.
Legarda was among a group of lawmakers who switched sides to back the new majority, including Senators Pia Cayetano, Camille Villar, and Mark Villar. While Lacson said he and his colleagues understood and accepted the political moves made by the Villar siblings and others, he stressed that Legarda’s case was entirely different. As one of the original members of their bloc — from its days as the minority to when it became the majority — she was considered a core partner, making her sudden shift all the more surprising and disheartening.
“My sentiment, and I think my colleagues in the former majority share this, is that it is sad Senator Legarda, one of our originals, did not inform us of her decision,” Lacson said. “I am not taking anything away from her right to join Senator Cayetano, but we just hoped she would have at least told us instead of surprising us.” He emphasized that it was never about opposing her choice but about the lack of courtesy and transparency expected from a long‑standing political partnership.
Lacson also pointed out that established Senate tradition dictates proper protocol when changing leadership. In past transitions, once a bloc secured at least 13 members, they would formally inform the sitting Senate president at noon, leading to a smooth handover where the outgoing leader would even nominate and vote for their successor.
He noted that when Senators JV Ejercito and Sherwin Gatchalian joined their bloc in 2025, they formally informed then‑Senate President Francis Escudero first. Lacson added that while he understood why Alan Peter Cayetano could not follow tradition this time — citing security concerns linked to the protection of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa amid an ICC arrest warrant — Legarda’s silence remained a painful break from long‑held norms of trust and respect.
