By el Amigo
MANILA, Philippines — Alan Peter Cayetano again did not show up at the Senate on Monday, missing both the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and the chamber’s plenary session without a formal explanation from his office.
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said Cayetano’s office had not contacted the Senate regarding the senator’s absence.
“There was no communication from his office,” Bantug said when asked whether Cayetano had submitted an explanation.
As of Monday, Cayetano had yet to publicly disclose why he was unable to attend the proceedings.
The minority leader has been absent from the Senate’s impeachment and plenary sessions since Aug. 11. Both proceedings are generally held from Monday through Wednesday.
Pia Cayetano, Alan’s sister and fellow senator, along with Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, previously said the minority leader had been feeling unwell, citing that as the reason for his absence the previous week.
His continued absence comes against the backdrop of Cayetano’s highly publicized verbal confrontation with Lacson, which has become one of the Senate’s most contentious political disputes in recent months.
The feud intensified after Cayetano questioned the growth in Lacson’s net worth from 2022 to 2025, despite Lacson not holding public office during that period. Lacson objected strongly, saying Cayetano had crossed a personal line by raising questions about his integrity. ([Daily Tribune][2])
Lacson then pursued allegations involving public infrastructure projects in Taguig, where Cayetano has long been a dominant political figure.
The senator claimed his investigation uncovered possible double funding, questionable project documentation and the alleged reuse of photographs in progress billing. He also pointed to projects with separate appropriations that appeared to involve the same infrastructure work. ([Philippine News Agency][3])
Lacson later said he had submitted evidence to the Ombudsman, including government records and information from sources, for further evaluation and possible investigation. ([PING LACSON][4])
Cayetano has repeatedly denied that Taguig had ghost projects and pushed back against Lacson’s accusations. He said he was willing to confront the allegations and defend the projects linked to his political bailiwick. ([ABS-CBN][5])
The exchange became even more heated when a possible “ceasefire” was floated. Lacson rejected the idea and vowed to continue examining the alleged anomalies, saying the investigation should proceed despite the political confrontation. ([Philippine News Agency][1])
While the Cayetano-Lacson dispute continues to play out, Cayetano’s latest absence has added another unanswered question inside the Senate. His office has yet to say when he will return to the impeachment proceedings and regular plenary sessions.
elamigo/xf
