Rift between Enrile, Cayetano turns personal

The rift between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano turned ugly and personal Wednesday when the former exposed the P37-million debt allegedly incurred by the latter's father, the late Sen. Renato Cayetano.

"Until now, your father has not paid his expenses in our (law) office that I established then so that he will have food for his family. That's P37 million. Until know we have not asked (anyone from the family) to pay it (because of) our friendship," Enrile said while showing a piece of paper to Cayetano.

Cayetano said he has no knowledge about the debt of his father and replied: "My father worked for every single centavo and it is unfair for you to bring that up. How can he explain when he's dead?"

Cayetano added that Enrile also owed his father gratitude for putting up Enrile's law office.

The exchange of ugly words only stopped when Sen. Franklin Drilon moved for suspension.

Enrile bared the late Cayetano's debt after the minority leader castigated the Senate President and his chief of staff Gigi Reyes over issues of distribution of P1.6 million additional maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE)to every senator except to four – Cayetano and his sister Pia, Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Antonio Trillanes IV.

In his privilege speech, Cayetano particularly attacked Reyes for branding 'hypocrites' the senators who are complaining for not receiving additional MOOE.

"This is the first time that a chief of staff of a senator had the gall to call a senator a hypocrite. Is this the new behavior in the Senate under the Enrile Senate presidency?" he asked.

Cayetano also revealed that Reyes has been acting like a senator by joining all the senators in a caucus.

"We all know how you run the Senate or more accurately, how you and Atty or Maam Gigi run the Senate," Cayetano said.

"I accepted that. Why? Courtesy and respect. You deserve it and you've earned it. You said almost 50 years in government and due to your age, I've always agreed with you. I agreed with you and disagreed. You've done good and bad things but that's beside the point. That's how you want to run the Senate, I never argued with that," he added.

The Senate minority leader said he has 100 truths against Enrile and Reyes.

Cayetano reiterated in his privilege speech his call for the Senate President to allow an independent auditing firm to check the Senate funds.

"I challenge you to allow a private auditing firm to look into the finances of the Senate," Cayetano said.

After the suspension, Enrile took the floor and explained his action to disburse additional MOOE.

Enrile said that he is open to Cayetano's challenge to get an independent auditing firm to audit the Senate funds. (PNA)