Attorney Jojo Lacanilao, convenor of the Duterte Panagutin Campaign Network Movement, expressed concern that the Senate’s credibility has suffered a serious blow under its current majority.
He argued that public trust is difficult to restore when the institution appears to shield Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa already identified by the International Criminal Court as facing criminal accountability through protective custody measures not even provided for by law.
Beyond protection, Lacanilao claimed the Senate effectively allowed Dela Rosa to evade responsibility, a move that gravely tarnished the chamber’s image.
For him, this raises urgent questions about whether democracy will truly be upheld and the Constitution safeguarded in the decisions lawmakers make moving forward.
At present, the Senate majority led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano is grappling with historically low trust ratings.
Lacanilao stressed that the institution must act decisively to regain the confidence of the Filipino people, warning that failure to do so could deepen the erosion of democratic accountability.
