SAMASA and Nagkakaisang Tugon Call for Alan Peter Cayetano’s Resignation as Senate President

 

Two of the University of the Philippines (Diliman) UPD’s long-standing student organizations, SAMASA and Nagkakaisang Tugon, have issued a strongly worded statement calling for the resignation of Alan Peter Cayetano for his “profound failure of judgment, leadership, and institutional responsibility” during the recent controversy involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

In their joint statement, the organizations argued that the issue goes beyond partisan politics or ideological disagreements, emphasizing that the controversy reflects a dangerous erosion of democratic institutions and public trust in the rule of law.

“Under his watch, the Senate transformed itself from a constitutional institution into a stage for political theater, confusion, and brinkmanship,” the groups said, referring to the Senate’s handling of dela Rosa’s supposed “protective custody.”

 The statement criticized Cayetano for invoking Senate authority to shield an ally from arrest while allegedly obstructing lawful enforcement efforts, only for dela Rosa to later disappear from Senate custody.

“The Senate leadership voluntarily assumed responsibility over Bato dela Rosa. Yet despite that, Bato escaped. That failure rests primarily and singularly on Alan Peter,” the organizations declared.

SAMASA and Tugon argued that public officials cannot invoke institutional powers to delay or prevent legal processes and then evade accountability when those actions result in institutional embarrassment and public confusion.

“At that point, you are no longer defending institutions or the rule of law. You are actively undermining them,” the statement read.

The organizations further warned that incidents involving preferential treatment for powerful political figures deepen public cynicism and weaken democratic institutions.

“Every time institutions appear willing to bend rules for the powerful, Filipinos lose even more faith that the law applies equally to everyone,” the statement said. “People see how quickly the law moves against the powerless, and how slowly and theatrically it moves for the politically connected.”

According to the groups, this growing distrust has broader implications for governance and democracy in the Philippines, particularly for ordinary citizens who lack political influence or wealth.

“This is how institutional decay becomes social decay,” the statement emphasized.

The organizations also condemned what they described as the transformation of the Senate into a “personal political shield” for allies seeking to evade accountability.

“Public office requires more than loyalty to friends and coalition arithmetic. It requires maturity, restraint, competence, and respect for institutions larger than oneself,” the groups stated.

Concluding their statement, SAMASA and Nagkakaisang Tugon said that if Cayetano still possesses “a sense of political responsibility and shame,” he should step down from his position as Senate President.

“He must — of his own accord or by force from his peers — resign,” the statement concluded.

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