Bernie Anabo Jr.
By all appearances, the Philippine Senate is no longer acting like a chamber of law.
It is beginning to look like a sanctuary for the politically untouchable.
And at the center of this storm is Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano — a man now facing a brutal crisis of credibility, leadership, and delicadeza.
Everything exploded because of one decision:
He chose to shield Senator Ronald dela Rosa instead of allowing the law to take its course.
That single act triggered a national embarrassment.
The Philippines ratified the Rome Statute. The country enacted Republic Act 9851. Those are not decorations. Those are legal obligations.
The ICC warrant against dela Rosa did not fall from the sky. It involved allegations of crimes against humanity tied to killings during the bloody anti-drug campaign from 2016 to 2018 — a period when the Philippines was still an ICC member.
Yet instead of respecting the process, the Senate leadership chose political protection over legal accountability.
And who benefited?
Alan Peter Cayetano.
The same Bato dela Rosa who resurfaced inside the Senate after reportedly staying out of public sight for months suddenly appeared just in time to participate in the Senate coup that removed Senate President Tito Sotto and elevated Cayetano into power.
That alone already smells bad politically.
But things became worse.
When authorities attempted to implement the warrant, Cayetano allegedly responded with threats of contempt instead of cooperation.
Instead of calming tensions, the Senate leadership escalated the confrontation. Instead of protecting the institution, it protected one man.
Then came the most disturbing part.
A sitting senator facing an ICC warrant openly appealed to the military to intervene against a possible arrest.
That is no longer ordinary political drama.
That is a dangerous signal.
And where was the Senate President in all this?
Silent when firmness was needed.
Defensive when accountability was demanded.
Weak when leadership was expected.
A Senate President is supposed to defend the rule of law, not turn the Senate into a political bunker.
Hindi ito simpleng “political issue” lang.
This is now a full-blown crisis of institutions.
The Senate’s credibility is bleeding in public view.
The rule of law is being mocked. International attention is intensifying. And instead of projecting stability, the leadership of Alan Peter Cayetano has projected confusion, confrontation, and collapse.
Even the scenes inside the Senate became chaotic — tension, confrontation, security incidents, and political grandstanding dominating headlines nationwide.
For what?
To shield one politically allied senator?
That is not leadership.
That is institutional recklessness.
And then comes the issue of delicadeza.
In Philippine political tradition, delicadeza means knowing when your continued stay in power is already damaging the institution you supposedly serve.
This is that moment.
Alan Peter Cayetano should resign as Senate President immediately.
Not tomorrow.
Not after another crisis.
Now.
Because every day he stays in that position, doubts about the fairness and credibility of the Senate deepen further — especially with major national issues and possible impeachment proceedings looming ahead.
How can the public trust impartiality when the Senate leadership itself is accused of protecting a wanted senator?
How can the Senate preach accountability when its own leadership is being accused of obstructing it?
And the damage does not stop there.
Even Jonvic Remulla drew criticism for appearing hesitant and politically cautious during the confrontation.
His statements that night only fueled perceptions that government officials were more concerned with protecting political allies than enforcing the law.
Meanwhile, President Bongbong Marcos once again faces accusations of weak leadership while the nation watches institutions unravel in real time.
This Senate crisis did not happen by accident.
It was created by political choices.
And the biggest political choice of all was the decision to protect power instead of protecting the law.
Cayetano wanted the Senate presidency.
Now he owns the crisis that came with it.
And if delicadeza still means anything in Philippine politics, there is only one honorable move left:
RESIGN
