Photo courtesy of Ping Lacson/Facebook.
Senator Panfilo Lacson pushed back against claims from Senator Pia Cayetano that no one from the minority bloc checked on majority members during last week’s shooting incident inside the Senate.
Lacson issued the response on Thursday, saying the accusation did not reflect what actually transpired during the chaotic situation on May 13.
He said it would have been difficult for minority lawmakers to check on their colleagues while some of them were allegedly occupied with other activities and making accusations.
In a social media post, Lacson questioned the statement attributed to Cayetano that no one reached out to them. He said some individuals were seen eating, having coffee, and even going live on Facebook while linking the minority bloc to the gunfire incident.
The remark came after Cayetano’s emotional exchange with Senator Risa Hontiveros, who earlier called on Senate leaders to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Hontiveros had urged the chamber to act swiftly and not dismiss the incident, stressing the need to address what led to the disruption inside the Senate.
Cayetano, however, took offense at the call and accused members of the minority bloc of downplaying the seriousness of the situation.
Lacson also rejected earlier allegations from some majority lawmakers, including Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Imee Marcos, that the minority left the Senate early because they had prior knowledge of the incident. He maintained that the session ended early and that a planned full Senate caucus had been converted into a majority-only meeting, adding that no one had foreseen what would happen that night.