Jonathan Frederic De Santos

The Senate building after a shooting incident on May 13, 2026. Darylle Sarmiento, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17793399065401779339902157.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate building after a shooting incident on May 13, 2026. <em>Darylle Sarmiento, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano would be in a better position to address speculation in his 13-member majority bloc over minority senators not being in the building during a gunfire incident last week, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said.</p><p>Tulfo, speaking on DZMM, reiterated it was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/20/erwin-tulfo-says-irresponsible-to-tag-minority-bloc-in-senate-chaos-1548">unfair to accuse the minority bloc</a> of having anything to do with the incident involving Senate security and personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation.</p><p>&quot;Actually, ang dapat po tanungin yung SP. Pero naintindihan ko rin po si SP Cayetano kasi, I think Tuesday po, sinabi niya may caucus ang all members — minority at majority. Pagkatapos, bandang alas-singko, binawi niya po &#x27;yun,&quot; he said.</p><p>(Actually, the question on why we weren&#x27;t there should be directed at SP. But I also understand SP Cayetano. On, I think Tuesday, he said there would be a caucus of all members — minority and majority. But around 5 p.m. he withdrew that invitation.)</p><div><a href="http://ABS-CBN Neshttps://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/tulfo-disputes-pia-s-claim-minority-didn-t-check-on-majority-after-senate-shooting-1043">Tulfo disputes Pia&#x27;s claim minority didn&#x27;t check on majority after Senate shooting<br/></a></div><p>Tulfo said Cayetano&#x27;s staff had informed the minority that only the majority bloc would be meeting. </p><p>&quot;And we understood kasi baka pag-usapan nila yung mga committee, committee,&quot; he said, adding with no part to play in the caucus, the minority senators just went home.</p><p>(And we understood because they might want to discuss committee leadership.)</p><p>&quot;Kaya siguro po yun po ang pinaghuhugutan niya na wala po, wala man lang kaming kasama dito, kami lang noong nagkaputukan,&quot; he also said.</p><p>(Maybe that is what they are upset about since they were the only ones there when the shooting happened)</p><p>Tulfo said senators really do break up into small caucuses along alliances so they can have confidential discussions. </p><p>He also agreed with Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III&#x27;s suggestion to convene the Senate into the Committee of the Whole instead of assigning the probe into the gunfire incident since the issue falls in the jurisdictions of various committees.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/all-gunshots-came-from-inside-senate-building-investigations-show-2256">Most gunshots came from inside the Senate building, investigations show<br/></a></div><p>In a separate interview, Sen. Imee Marcos insisted that &quot;the NBI really attacked the Senate, it was very apparent&quot;. This, despite findings of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and of the Philippine National Police to the contrary.</p><p>She added that a &quot;big fuss is being made about [Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms] firing the first warning shot&quot; as she emphasized the anxiety and fear among senators in the building at the time. </p><p>Sen. Bam Aquino meanwhile stressed the need to get back to work and address the pressing issues confronting the nation and the Filipino people and to restore public trust in the Senate.</p><p>“Ang tanging paraan para maibalik ang tiwala ng taumbayan ay gawin namin ang aming trabaho para matugunan ang kawalan ng trabaho, mahal na halaga ng bilihin, at iba pang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.</p><p>(The only way to restore public trust is for us to do our jobs to address unemployment, high prices and other burdens our people bear)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/20/-suspended-aplasca-surrenders-firearm-linked-to-senate-gunfire-incident-1310">Aplasca maintains Senate was under attack, surrenders firearm</a></div><div><strong>— from a report by RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano would be in a better position to address speculation in his 13-member majority bloc over minority senators not being in the building during a gunfire incident last week, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said.</p>

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano would be in a better position to address speculation in his 13-member majority bloc over minority senators not being in the building during a gunfire incident last week, Sen. Erwin Tulfo said.

Erwin Tulfo: SP Cayetano can explain minority’s ‘absence’ during Senate shooting

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Erwin Tulfo: SP Cayetano can explain minority’s ‘absence’ during Senate shooting

ABS-CBN News

Published May 21, 2026 01:16 PM PHT

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Senate

Erwin Tulfo

Alan Peter Cayetano

Gunfire

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