MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Chief Alan Peter Cayetano and his sister, Sen. Pia Cayetano, boarded a flight to Singapore on Wednesday, arriving at Changi Airport hours later, in keeping with the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
“The Bureau of Immigration confirms that Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano are at present in a foreign country,” it stated in a press release on Thursday.
“Primarily based on BI information, there have been no maintain departure orders or derogatory information towards the 2 senators, as of departure date, that may legally forestall them from leaving the nation,” it added.
READ: BI confirms Cayetano siblings traveled in a foreign country
The BI didn’t say that Cayetano’s spouse, Taguig Metropolis Mayor Lani Cayetano, additionally left the nation on Wednesday evening, as confirmed by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian the subsequent day.
In response to Gatchalian, whereas he doesn’t know the explanation for the departure of the Cayetanos, he sees nothing incorrect with it as senators don’t want to hunt permission from the chamber to journey for private causes.
He stated solely senators touring on official enterprise want permission from the Senate. “For instance, if the Senate is paying for motels, tickets and workers bills, there have to be an official discover filed with the Senate,” Gatchalian advised reporters.
Senate President Professional Tempore Vicente Sotto III stated the identical factor. In a separate message, he defined that “senators should not compelled to ask permission to go away the nation.”
In distinction, authorities workers should apply for a journey authority from their workplace at any time when they depart the nation, even for private journeys. They’re required to current the doc to immigration brokers on the airport earlier than departure.
Senate Majority Chief Juan Miguel Zubiri additionally stated it was okay for the Cayetanos to go on a private journey, significantly for “well being causes.”
“I feel it’s a private journey. I feel it’s for well being causes. I want them nicely. That’s okay, there’s no downside with that,” he stated.
Not a problem
In a social media submit, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who has been engaged in a phrase battle with Alan Peter Cayetano over alleged irregularities in flood management and reclamation tasks in Taguig Metropolis, referred to as his departure a nonissue.
“This isn’t a problem as of the second. Let’s make him take a break from the stress attributable to points that he himself created,” Lacson stated.
READ: Cayetano to Lacson: Cease the theatrics, let proof communicate
He added that he wished his colleague nicely, regardless of their variations. “[I]f it’s merely health-related, I sincerely want him nicely regardless of our animosities.”
Alan Peter Cayetano is at present being investigated by the Nationwide Bureau of Investigation in addition to the Workplace of the Ombudsman in reference to alleged irregularities within the nation’s internet hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Video games, the place he served as chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Video games Organizing Committee.
Lacson and his workplace have additionally formally submitted to the Ombudsman a minimum of 45 case research backed by official paperwork detailing “systemic anomalies” in flood management infrastructure tasks in Taguig Metropolis, the political bailiwick of the Cayetanos.
The Ombudsman has since launched a fact-finding investigation into the reported irregularities.
In June, it additionally ordered Alan Peter Cayetano to reply to a criticism for obstruction of justice for supposedly serving to Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa return into hiding. /das
