Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday warned against making the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte the country’s sole focus, saying urgent issues such as flood control corruption, the economy, and disaster response must also be addressed.
In a Facebook livestream before the July 6 proceedings, Cayetano said the impeachment trial should proceed in an orderly and impartial manner but that other urgent issues must not be sidelined.
“Y’ung imbestigasyon sa flood control, sa mga pang-aapi sa ating mga kababayan, pwedeng ituloy-tuloy po lahat ‘yan. We cannot stop. Hindi y’ung one-issue nation tayo,” he said.
He asked why the Senate can fix a 30-week working schedule for the impeachment trial but cannot schedule Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on the unresolved billion-peso flood control controversy.
“Ulitin ko po: tama y’ung isaayos natin ang impeachment [schedule]. Tama na nagkaroon ng pre-trial. Tama na lahat tayo maging impartial. Bakit, hindi ba tayo pwedeng maging impartial din sa flood control? At napakarami pang ibang corruption issues,” he said.
He emphasized that the Senate can proceed with the impeachment trial while continuing investigations into flood control, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects, corruption, and other alleged abuses.
“Pwede naman po nating isabay na magkaroon ng imbestigasyon sa flood control, sa iba pang DPWH projects, sa iba pang corruption sa ating bansa, maging anong ahensya man ‘yan,” he said.
Cayetano likewise warned of a “creeping economic crisis” while the Senate focuses on the impeachment trial, citing small businesses that are struggling with weaker earnings and higher costs.
“Maraming small businesses ngayon, 20-30 percent ang niliit ng kita, in danger na masara. Tumaas nga sweldo [sa NCR], nagsara naman [ang mga negosyo],” he said.
Last week, an P85 increase in the minimum wage in Metro Manila was approved, but businesses are also operating under a weaker economy, high prices, and softer consumer demand. Inflation remained above target at 6.8 percent in May, while household consumption growth slowed to 3.3 percent and investment growth weakened to 3.3 percent.
“Dahil ang focus ng gobyerno ay nasa impeachment at wala d’un sa anti-flood control corruption, wala d’un sa ekonomiya, mukhang creeping na palaki itong economic crisis na huwag naman sana,” he warned.
Cayetano added that the government must also stay alert to disaster risks, including storms, the super El Niño, and volcanic activity.
The state weather bureau has warned that a severe El Niño could persist until 2027, which could result in severe drought and flooding. The Department of Agriculture also said it could reduce rice production by as much as 700,000 metric tons.
Against these simultaneous pressures, Cayetano appealed to the public to remain focused not just on the impeachment trial but also on the broader fight to protect the Constitution, uphold truth, and expose corruption.
“Ipaglaban natin ang Constitution ng ating bansa. Ipaglaban po natin ang katotohanan. Let’s not fight each other – let’s fight corruption,” he said.
Screenshot from Alan Peter Cayetano FB