News » Nation Personalan in Senate: After Cayetano speech, Enrile brings up old debt

January 23, 2013 5:21pm


The rift between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano became personal Wednesday on the Senate floor, with Cayetano lamenting Enrile's treatment of the minority and even rebuking Enrile's chief of staff.

In response, Enrile bared a multi-million peso debt allegedly incurred by Cayetano's late father many years ago.

In a privilege speech, Cayetano said Enrile and his chief of staff lawyer Gigi Reyes have been giving him unfair treatment. He said this was probably because the two are close to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of whom he was a critic.

Cayetano also said Reyes was a close friend of their political rivals in Taguig, where his wife, Maria Laarni, is the incumbent mayor.

Cayetano said he won't go into the details of Enrile and Reyes' personal relationship.

He, however, challenged Enrile to show how the Senate has been liquidating its funds, which he said doubled during Enrile's term.

"I challenge you allow private auditing firms to look into the finances of the Senate," he said.

In response, Enrile stood up and began and bared a P37 million debt allegedly incurred by Cayetano's father, the late Senator Renato Cayetano.

Cayetano, however, said he was not aware of any debt of his father and that Enrile was deviating from the topic.

The two then got into a heated argument until Sen. Franklin Drilon moved to suspend session.

Session was still suspended as of posting time. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News