Cayetano Siblings Depart Philippines Amid Investigations

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed yesterday that siblings Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano left the country last Wednesday. The BI did not provide information on whether the two siblings boarded the same flight of if they were going to the same destination. Alan Peter was seen lining up at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for a flight to Singapore. They were allowed to leave because “there were no hold departure orders or derogatory records against the two senators, as of departure date, that would legally prevent them from leaving the country,” the BI said. Their Senate colleagues found nothing wrong with the travel of the Cayetanos and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, amid an investigation on their possible involvement in alleged public works anomalies in Taguig. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said personal trips, such as those for health reasons, need not get permission from his office and that only official trips abroad require his nod. “There is no need to file a leave for personal (trips abroad). We do not know the reason yet, but there is no policy to secure a leave for this kind of trip,” Gatchalian said in a chance interview. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he wished the Cayetanos well on their supposedly health-related trip. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who blew the lid on alleged illegal land reclamations and anomalous slope protection projects in Taguig, said their trip is not an issue, unless the senator siblings miss next week’s session and impeachment proceedings. The Cayetanos are free to leave the country for health or leisure reasons because the Ombudsman has not yet summoned them for its flood control investigation on Taguig, Lacson said. “This is not an issue as of the moment. Let’s make him (them) take a break from the stress caused by issues that he himself created. For all we know, Sen. Alan and his wife’s trip has something to do with reproductive health, which Singapore is known for,” Lacson said. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said the Cayetanos should be given the benefit of the doubt until their travel is officially confirmed, adding that they could have personal, official or work-related reasons for leaving the country. Matibag, however, acknowledged that the timing of the trip could draw public scrutiny. Alan Peter is also being investigated by the NBI on the alleged overpricing of the decorative cauldron used in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Mark Ernest Villeza, Rudy Santo