MANILA — Senators from the minority bloc pushed back against suggestions that they failed to check on their colleagues in the majority following last week’s shooting incident in the Senate.
Senator Erwin Tulfo said he personally sent a message in their WhatsApp group chat, writing “Praying for all of you there” after learning of the incident.
“Baka hindi lang po nabasa ni Senadora Pia yung group chat namin sa WhatsApp,” Tulfo explained in a radio interview on Thursday, May 21, after Senator Pia Cayetano became emotional in plenary and claimed no one from the minority reached out.
Cayetano’s remarks came after Senator Risa Hontiveros commented that “parang walang nangyari”, which she later clarified referred to the Senate’s institutional response, not the emotions of those present.
Screenshots of the group chat have since circulated online, showing minority senators did send messages of concern.
Tulfo stressed that the minority bloc was not involved in the incident and denied speculation that they plotted it.
“Honestly speaking, hindi naman po galing sa amin yun. Wala po kaming lahat doon,” he said.
Tulfo added that the confusion may have stemmed from a caucus initially announced by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano as a joint meeting of majority and minority senators but later limited to the majority bloc.
“What were we supposed to do there? We were not invited. We could not exactly gatecrash their caucus,” he said.
Minority senators emphasized that they remain supportive of their colleagues and reject claims that they were indifferent or unconcerned about the majority during the incident. (Dhel Nazario)
