Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, and Rodante Marcoleta, push through with their scheduled Blue Ribbon Committee hearing featuring 18 Marines and their legal counsel as resource persons at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on June 4, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Allison Co

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780804689857178073303910420260604-senate-cayetano-bloc-blue-ribbon-MT-1.jpg.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, and Rodante Marcoleta, push through with their scheduled Blue Ribbon Committee hearing featuring 18 Marines and their legal counsel as resource persons at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on June 4, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — Malacañang said there is clear usurpation of authority in the so-called Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that the Cayetano bloc conducted last Thursday.“May usurpation of authority, tapos yung mga nagsalita diyan — hindi yan official — pwedeng makasuhan yan ng libel…,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a DZMM interview on Sunday, June 7.(There is usurpation of authority and those who spoke there — it wasn&#x27;t an official hearing — they could be charged with libel.)Amid the possibility of legal complaints, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said he has no issue facing potential cases.“Pero OK sa inyo baguhin yung Senado? OK sa inyo wag ilabas yung totoo sa flood control?,” Cayetano said during a Facebook Live on Saturday, June 6.(But is it OK with you that the Senate will be changed? Are you OK that the truth behind flood control will not come out?)Cayetano, who says he remains Senate president, claims he and his allies did not attend plenary sessions to make sure the hearing last Thursday would push through.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/7/cayetano-defends-senate-leadership-warns-against-malaca-ang-influence-0037">Cayetano defends Senate leadership, warns against Malacañang influence </a></div>Their work stoppage ended when Sen. Francis Escudero showed up at the session hall last Wednesday, providing a quorum for the senators to hold a plenary session that also saw the declaration that leaderships were vacant.This led to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian being elected Senate president pro tempore. Gatchalian is acting Senate president since the bloc did not elect one.Cayetano also took aim at former Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Senator Panfilo Lacson, accusing the latter of bringing in false testimony in previous Blue Ribbon hearings.Lacson, who previously chaired Blue Ribbon hearings on corruption in flood control projects, had already prepared a draft partial — meaning initial — report on the probe. Members of the Cayetano bloc had refused to sign it for endorsement to the floor.Lacson fired back in a social media post on Sunday, saying that Cayetano&#x27;s response only showed that he is weak on both the law and the facts.“When you’re strong on the law, pound the law. When you’re strong on the facts, pound the facts. When you’re weak on both… mag-Facebook live ka na lang (you just go on Facebook Live).”The exchange came after Sen. Vicente Sotto III said he is considering filing legal complaints against the 18 supposed bagmen who testified during Thursday&#x27;s hearing.Sotto said he is still deciding who to include in the complaints, but these may cover “the persons who brought and coached some of the 18 ex-bodyguards” of resigned congressman Zaldy Co.Asked whether the complaints could also include senators, Sotto replied: “We’ll see.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/6/gatchalian-on-legarda-s-unconstitutional-remark-law-experts-opinions-have-more-weight-1929">Gatchalian on Legarda’s ‘unconstitutional’ remark: Law experts’ opinions have more weight </a></div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/6/group-of-lawyers-mulling-to-file-complaints-vs-marcoleta-pia-cayetano-1607">A group of lawyers is also mulling filing usurpation of authority complaints</a> against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and Sen. Pia Cayetano of the Cayetano bloc&#x27;s Blue Ribbon Committee.Malacañang however clarified that it is up to law enforcement agencies to study potential cases and filing them if warranted.“Ang daming trabaho ng pangulo para intindihin pa yan, alam naman niya na hindi nagsasabi ng totoo yan. Unang-una ang daming butas, alam niyo yung kwento ng 18 basureros o 18 maleta boys parang pinagtahi-tahi kung ano lang masabi,” Castro added.(The president is too busy to pay this any mind. He knows that they are not telling the truth. First of all, there are so many holes in their story. The story told by the 18 trashmen or 18 maleta boys seem to have been stitched together just so they have something to say.Gatchalian earlier said invitations to the Sen. Erwin Tulfo-led Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Monday would be extended to the same resource persons including the 18 witnesses who appeared before the Cayetano bloc.“Lahat po invited. So lahat po ng senador.”(Everyone will be invited. So, all senators.)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/battle-of-blue-ribbons-shows-an-upper-house-still-divided-2148">Battle of &#x27;Blue Ribbons&#x27; shows an upper house still divided </a></div>ABS-CBN News has reached out to Atty. Levi Baligod, legal counsel for the witnesses, but has yet to receive confirmation on whether they will attend the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing called by the Gatchalian bloc.

Malacañang said there is clear usurpation of authority in the so-called Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that the Cayetano bloc conducted last Thursday.

Malacañang said there is clear usurpation of authority in the so-called Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that the Cayetano bloc conducted last Thursday.

Malacañang sees ‘usurpation of authority' in Cayetano bloc Blue Ribbon hearing

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Malacañang sees ‘usurpation of authority' in Cayetano bloc Blue Ribbon hearing

Allison Co,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 07, 2026 12:07 PM PHT

Read More:

Alan Peter Cayetano

Sherwin Gatchalian

Panfilo Lacson

Claire Castro

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