Rowegie Abanto

Families of pre-Martial Law senators: 'This Senate stands disgraced before the nation'. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Senators huddle during a brief break in the plenary session at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on May 19, 2026, conferring on key legislative measures and other pressing national concerns. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

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/178046994978020260519-senate-plenary-session-MT7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Families of pre-Martial Law senators: &#x27;This Senate stands disgraced before the nation&#x27;. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The families of some members of pre-Martial Law Senate this week issued a scathing statement criticizing the current chamber, which they said &quot;stands disgraced before the nation.&quot;</p><p>In a rare statement, they said previous members of the Senate &quot;did not hunger for applause, nor chase spectacle, nor beg for the fleeting worship of the crowd&quot; because &quot;they understood that public office was not theater&quot; and &quot;sacred&quot; duty.</p><p>&quot;There were no rehearsed displays of piety. No public weeping. No vulgar theatrics. No shameless scrambling for attention. No drama masquerading as patriotism. Only work. Honest work. Patriotic work,&quot; they said.</p><p>The statement comes as the majority and minority blocs of the Senate hit a stalemate this week and failed to convene a plenary session for two consecutive days following the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada over plunder charges.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/marcos-on-senate-impasse-get-back-to-work-0949">Marcos urges senators to &#x27;get back to work&#x27;</a></div><p>The statement was signed by family members of the late senators Alejandro Almendras, Jose &quot;Pepe&quot; W. Diokno, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Raul Manglapus, Sergio &quot;Serging&quot; Osmeña Jr., Ambrosio &quot;Paddy&quot; Padilla, Emmanuel Pelaez, Francisco &quot;Soc&quot; Rodrigo, Jovito &quot;Jovy&quot; Salonga, Sen. Lorenzo Sumulong Sr. and Lorenzo &quot;Tanny&quot; Tañada.</p><p>The families of the pre-Martial Law senators said then lawmakers &quot;knew that the people’s trust could not be stolen through noise or performance&quot; as &quot;it had to be earned through competence, integrity, and sacrifice.&quot;</p><p>&quot;But this Senate? This Senate stands disgraced before the nation,&quot; they said.</p><p><strong></strong>&quot;A great number among the majority walk beneath the dark cloud of accusations so grave that in any decent republic they would compel shame, resignation, or prosecution — plunder, obstruction of justice, abuse of power, even crimes against human life itself. The Senate, once the forge of our laws, has become a refuge for those who brazenly violate them.&quot;</p><p>Other members of the current Senate are facing ongoing or potential cases over various accusations.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/cayetano-padilla-aplasca-face-obstruction-of-justice-complaint-over-dela-rosa-s-escape-1136">Cayetano, Padilla, Aplasca face obstruction of justice complaint over Dela Rosa’s escape</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/-anong-klaseng-liderato-yan-lacson-castigates-cayetano-for-dereliction-of-duty-1134">&#x27;Anong klaseng liderato yan?&#x27; Lacson castigates Cayetano for dereliction of duty</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;REPLACE HIM&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Maria Serena Diokno, daughter of the late senator Pepe Diokno, pointed out the &quot;irony&quot; that some senators would sit as judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte despite being investigated for potential wrongdoing.</p><p>&quot;Young people shouldn&#x27;t grow up thinking this is normal. Ganyan naman ang politika, that&#x27;s what we don&#x27;t want to happen. This is the worst that we have seen,&quot; she told ANC on Wednesday.   </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/teodoro-senate-standstill-delays-ratification-of-defense-deals-with-canada-new-zealand-1346">Teodoro: Senate standstill delays ratification of defense deals with Canada, New Zealand</a></div><p>&quot;Marami kasi sa mayorya ngayon, marami sa kanila ang nakasuhan na ngayon. Unti-unti nang lalabas ang sakdal... Seizing power is their lifeline.&quot;</p><p>She also supported calls for the resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, whose leadership has already been marred by controversies.</p><p>&quot;Get out. Replace him,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s hard to hide secrets in this country with social media. Blind item, lalabas yan. But that same medium can be abused to spread fake information,&quot; she said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcCDA6ZcPEA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/edM16JedGcY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent"> </span></div>

<p>The families of some members of pre-Martial Law Senate this week issued a scathing statement criticizing the current chamber, which they said "stands disgraced before the nation."</p>

The families of some members of pre-Martial Law Senate this week issued a scathing statement criticizing the current chamber, which they said "stands disgraced before the nation."

Families of pre-Martial Law senators: 'This Senate stands disgraced before the nation'

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Families of pre-Martial Law senators: 'This Senate stands disgraced before the nation'

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 03, 2026 03:13 PM PHT

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Senate

Senate Boycott

Alan Peter Cayetano

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