MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson claimed former Senate President Tito Sotto was removed from his post because he allegedly refused to use public funds to “take care” of fellow senators.
Lacson said Sotto did not have access to the alleged P142-billion funds supposedly used to maintain political support inside the Senate, unlike former Senate President Francis Escudero.
He stressed that leadership should mean protecting colleagues’ welfare — not distributing taxpayers’ money for political loyalty.
“If that’s the definition of ‘alaga,’ then we might as well all pack up and leave,” Lacson said.
The senator also linked the Senate rift to the Blue Ribbon Committee probe into controversial flood control projects, where several lawmakers, including Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva, were mentioned during hearings.
Lacson defended the investigation, saying he merely performed his duty and never instructed witnesses to implicate senators.
He also revealed that shifting political alliances inside the Senate eventually led to Sotto’s ouster and the rise of Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president.
ia/xf
