BI: No reason to stop Cayetanos from leaving

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and his sister, Sen. Pia Cayetano, boarded a flight to Singapore on Wednesday, arriving at Changi Airport hours later, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“The Bureau of Immigration confirms that Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano are currently out of the country,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

“Based on BI records, 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,” it added.

The BI did not say that Cayetano’s wife, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, also left the country on Wednesday night, as confirmed by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian the next day.

According to Gatchalian, while he does not know the reason for the departure of the Cayetanos, he sees nothing wrong with it as senators do not need to seek permission from the chamber to travel for personal reasons.

He said only senators traveling on official business need permission from the Senate. “For example, if the Senate is paying for hotels, tickets and staff expenses, there must be an official notice filed with the Senate,” Gatchalian told reporters.

Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III said the same thing. In a separate message, he explained that “senators are not compelled to ask permission to leave the country.”

In contrast, government employees must apply for a travel authority from their office whenever they leave the country, even for personal trips. They are required to present the document to immigration agents at the airport before departure.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also said it was okay for the Cayetanos to go on a personal trip, particularly for “health reasons.”

“I think it’s a personal trip. I think it’s for health reasons. I wish them well. That’s okay, there’s no problem with that,” he said.

In a social media post, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who has been engaged in a word war with Alan Peter Cayetano over alleged irregularities in flood control and reclamation projects in Taguig City, called his departure a nonissue.

“This is not an issue as of the moment. Let’s make him take a break from the stress caused by issues that he himself created,” Lacson said.

He added that he wished his colleague well, despite their differences. “[I]f it is simply health-related, I sincerely wish him well despite our animosities.”

Alan Peter Cayetano is currently being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation as well as the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with alleged irregularities in the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where he served as chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee.

Lacson and his office have also formally submitted to the Ombudsman at least 45 case studies backed by official documents detailing “systemic anomalies” in flood control infrastructure projects in Taguig City, the political bailiwick of the Cayetanos.

The Ombudsman has since launched a fact-finding investigation into the reported irregularities.

In June, it also ordered Alan Peter Cayetano to respond to a complaint for obstruction of justice for supposedly helping Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa go back into hiding. /das