Drilon warns of ‘collective failure of leadership’ amid crisis

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Former Senate President Frank Drilon condemned what he called an unprecedented breakdown of governance in the Philippines, warning that resistance to the rule of law from both the executive and legislative branches poses a grave threat to the republic.

In an ANC interview, the veteran legislator who spent 24 years in the Senate said the current political situation is unlike anything he has witnessed in decades of public service.

“This is the first time I see this kind of a spectacle,” Drilon said. “There is a collective failure of leadership from both the executive and the legislature. There is a collective resistance to follow the rule of law. That is a very dangerous thing in our midst today.”

His remarks come amid the political storm triggered by International Criminal Court proceedings against former Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and the continuing fallout over the Duterte administration’s drug war.

The crisis has exposed deep fault lines between branches of government, with the executive and key legislative allies accused of stonewalling legal processes and international obligations.

Drilon pressed a fundamental question.

“So, where did we go wrong?” he said. “Is our electoral system fraught with failures? Is it not possible to elect the right leaders in our system today?”

He said the question he hears most from the public is direct and damning.

“Why is this happening today? Why is the law not being followed? I think that’s the bottom problem.”

The former Senate President did not name specific officials. His remarks were widely interpreted as a rebuke of both the Marcos administration’s handling of the ICC standoff and the Senate’s failure to uphold legal accountability for those implicated in extrajudicial killings during the drug war.

His statement adds to a growing chorus of voices from legal, religious, and civil society sectors calling for fidelity to the rule of law as the country navigates one of its most turbulent political moments in recent memory.

Senate set to convene impeachment court

Hours later, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano formally notified the House of Representatives that the chamber has taken official cognizance of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, setting the impeachment court to convene on May 18, 2026 at 3 p.m.

Cayetano simultaneously addressed an “unprecedented” armed attack on the Senate compound the previous night, denouncing what he called “fake news” and a deliberate destabilization attempt tied to the proceedings.

In his letter to House Speaker Romualdez at Batasan Hills, Quezon City, Cayetano wrote: “Your Honor, the Senate is in receipt of the resolution setting forth the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, including all annexes thereto, transmitted by the House of Representatives.”

He cited Rule 1 of the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials and Article XI, Section 3 of the Constitution as the basis for proceeding “immediately” to consideration. The Vice President was listed as a copy recipient.

Cayetano said the articles would be placed on the order of business without discretionary delays.

“So the calendar will not be based on anything that is discretionary. It will be based on objectivity,” he said. “Kung nakalagay sa rules, ganitong number of days para sumagot — then trial na kaagat.” (“If it’s in the rules, this many days to respond — then trial immediately.”)

The Senate will first organize as an impeachment court, after which Cayetano will take his oath as presiding officer, followed by the rest of the senator-judges. The chamber will then issue summons to the respondent.

Trial proper could begin in June, Cayetano said, with hearings tentatively scheduled Monday through Wednesday or Thursday. Fridays would be reserved as motion days.

“I don’t think kaya naman yung magdamagan ng dalawang buwan,” he said, ruling out sustained overnight sessions. (“I don’t think we can do all-night sessions for two months.”)

He acknowledged that balancing legislative work with the trial would be the chamber’s biggest challenge. “Kung maganda ang takbo ng ekonomiya and we don’t need any urgent legislation, pwede mag-90, 95% on the impeachment court,” he said. (“If the economy is running well and we don’t need any urgent legislation, we can do 90, 95% on the impeachment court.”)

Cayetano said the Sunday night attack on the Senate compound was “100 percent” intended to force dela Rosa out of the building. Reports indicated the senator departed the premises at approximately 2:50 a.m.

“I can tell you honest to goodness, none of the senators who were here last night knew that was going to happen,” Cayetano said.

He confirmed shots were fired “from both sides” of the incident and that at least one arrest had been made. Video evidence is available, he said, but he declined to identify the agencies involved in the initial probe.

“Once you say three-letter words — once you say it’s a certain agency — people immediately jump to a conclusion: government or not,” Cayetano said. “That’s why it has to be independent. Let’s not jump into conclusions.”

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. called him personally after the incident to assure him the attack had no government involvement, Cayetano said. He raised concerns about inconsistencies in the National Bureau of Investigation’s account and agreed to pursue a joint independent investigation between the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and the Senate itself.

Cayetano dismissed as “fake news” a social media claim that the Philippine National Police had confirmed the military Chief of Staff’s statement that only Cayetano’s own security guards fired shots.

“Since last night, when Secretary Jonvic came here, we’ve been hearing conspiracy theories from both sides — one side that it’s the government that attacked,” he said.

He cited a separate incident the previous Monday in which a senator was chased inside the Senate building and a member of the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms was physically assaulted.

“First, nung Monday, hinabol sa loob ng Senate ang isang senator, ginulpe ang isang member ng OSSA — and then last night, the armed attack on the Senate. Unprecedented ‘yan,” Cayetano said. (“First, on Monday, a senator was chased inside the Senate, a member of OSSA was beaten up — and then last night, the armed attack on the Senate. That’s unprecedented.”)

On reports that senators were being approached to switch sides, Cayetano said his 13-member majority bloc remains intact, with all 13 senators in his Sunday night caucus agreeing to proceed with the trial and none calling for dismissal of the articles.

“Sa 13, walang nagsabing ayaw magtrial,” he said. (“Of the 13, no one said they don’t want a trial.”)

He closed with a statement of principle: “Dalawa ang libro ko — yung Bible, yung Constitution. Everything else follows.” (“I have two books — the Bible, the Constitution. Everything else follows.”)

“Trabaho? Or mamulitika?” Cayetano said. “My only choice is to do the work, then be completely honest with you.” (“Work? Or play politics?”)

He promised a fuller briefing within the hour, after meeting with the Senate’s top officials.