Cayetano Rejects 'Relax' Call, Cites Filipinos' Demand for Flood Control Probe

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has rejected the call of fellow Senator Erwin Tulfo to “relax” in calling for the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon panel’s probe into the flood control scandal. In a Facebook livestream late Friday evening, to accommodate overseas Filipinos, Cayetano noted that it is not himself who can not relax but Filipinos asking for accountability. “I’m not one getting worked up and I’m not the one who doesn’t relax. My countrymen, every single Filipino has asked for an accounting of the biggest corruption scandal in our country in history involving not billions, not tens of billions, not hundreds of billions, but it involves trillions of pesos,” Cayetano stressed. On the same day, Tulfo, who heads the blue ribbon panel, suggested that “Boy Banat,” referring to Cayetano, must “relax, and not get too worked up.” He then promised that the panel will not stop investigating the flood control scams, saying the blue ribbon panel has yet to formally convene. READ: Tulfo hits Cayetano with ‘Boy Banat’ jab: Relax, flood probe coming In the same livestream, Cayetano also pointed out that it is Tulfo, who was also a broadcaster, who gets riled up in his radio programs involving only two to three people. “You’re so hot-tempered when you’re on TV and radio. You’re talking to two or three people. It's a problem for a couple… But this is a problem for the entire Philippines, you’re going to tell us all: Just relax?” the senator said. He further rejected Tulfo’s statement explaining that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte fills up the Senate’s schedule. Cayetano emphasized that there are still Thursdays and Fridays to hold such hearings, adding that the probe need not be held in the session hall as there are other rooms that could accommodate committee hearings. /das