Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano admitted on Wednesday, May 13 that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa was in his car before coming up to the premises of the Upper Chamber to join Monday’s plenary session.

Cayetano made this admission right after his sister, Sen. Pia Cayetano, in a privilege speech, denied Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s statement that the Cayetano siblings were aware that Dela Rosa will resurface in time for the voting for the leadership change.

In her privilege speech, Pia Cayetano said she, too, did not know that Dela Rosa was already in the Senate.

She also rejected Lacson’s insinuation saying his statement was “publicly conveyed in a manner that created the impression that I was directly involved in facilitating Sen. Dela Rosa’s entry into the Senate premises.”

“Hindi ko nga alam na darating siya (I didn’t know that he will come),” she stressed.

“Unverified allegations about a colleague falls below the standard of professionalism that is demanded of public officials,” she lamented.

After Cayetano’s privilege speech, Lacson stood up and apologized to Pia Cayetano on the floor, saying the information he received came from a “fairly reliable source.”

Nevertheless, Lacson apologized to the senator, which Pia Cayetano later on accepted.

The Senate President then interjected that while it may “seem innocent to Sen. Lacson, but to those who are commenting, they think it’s a crime even because people got confused with the timeline that when he got here we didn’t know there was an ICC (International Criminal Court) warrant and everything.”

“I told the media after my sister speaks, sa akin siya nakasakay (he was in my car). And I did not tell my sister and I did not tell many members in the majority that he will attend. Ang sabi ko lang please be there,” Alan Cayetano said.

“Emotions are high but we are all called to a higher calling. We all have sentiments. I don't think it will be stopped,” he said.

“For the record, sa kotse ko sumakay si Senator Bato as he said. When I talked to him and said how can I go in the Senate, I was aghast. Senador ka eh bakit problemang pumasok ka? But naisip ko ang commercial ni Amang Parika yung sabi na sumakay ka pa. Kaya sabi ko sa akin ka na sumakay. That's why it's so obvious that I knew he was here because when I spoke earlier. Having said that, an apology was made and explanation was made so [let’s] move on from that,” the Senate leader further said.