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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider No time for drama: Sotto dismisses Cayetano's rants as 'telenovela' politics

No time for drama: Sotto dismisses Cayetano's rants as 'telenovela' politics

Published Jun 19, 2026 04:43 pm
Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente "Tito" Sotto III on Friday, June 19,  shrugged off Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano's latest attacks against fellow senators, saying the public exchanges were becoming more like a television drama than productive political discourse.
Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III (Photo courtesy of Wendell Alinea/Senate Social Media Unit)
Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III (Photo courtesy of Wendell Alinea/Senate Social Media Unit)
In a Viber message to reporters, Sotto called for a focus on issues affecting Filipinos instead of engaging in public quarrels. He expressed disinterest in Cayetano's latest tirades.
"Parang telenovela style (It's like a telenovela). It's not good for the country. Let's move on to more urgent issues to help our countrymen," Sotto said.
Sotto's remarks came after Cayetano used a lengthy Facebook Live broadcast to lash out at several senators, including Senators Raffy and Erwin Tulfo, as well as Senator Panfilo Lacson.
During the livestream, Cayetano stated that Sotto and Senator Raffy were "tuta" or lapdogs of Malacañang while Senator Erwin was a "tuta" of Lacson.
In Filipino political slang, "tuta" is a derogatory term used to describe a puppet, lackey, or lapdog who blindly follows another person's orders.
Cayetano also alleged that Lacson held information against Senator Erwin and even hinted at purported issues involving contractors linked to the senator, although he provided no evidence to support the claims.
Lacson recently praised Senator Erwin for signing the partial report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation in the alleged flood control anomalies despite pressure from their colleagues.
Cayetano also took a swipe at Lacson, saying he was no longer merely a "tuta" but already an "aso," before making a play on the Filipino phrase "aso-kaso", suggesting that he resort to filing cases against opponents.
After a slew of attacks against his peers, Cayetano concluded the livestream by citing Jeremiah 29:11, a Bible verse he frequently invokes in his public messages.

Related Tags

Alan Peter Cayetano ping lacson Raffy Tulfo Erwin Tulfo Tito Sotto Senate leadership crisis Senate
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