Senator Erwin Tulfo admitted that he previously supported the anti-illegal drugs campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, but said his perspective changed due to alleged cases of extrajudicial killings (EJK) linked to the campaign. Tulfo made the statement amid ongoing tension in the Senate following the absence of majority bloc senators during the plenary session on June 2, which resulted in a lack of quorum and the cancellation of the session for the second consecutive day.
Tulfo Criticizes Cayetano
In the interview, Tulfo openly criticized former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and called for his resignation due to an alleged leadership crisis in the Senate. The senator asserted that the current conflict in the Senate is not rooted in the war on drugs issue but in the management of the chamber. At the same time, Tulfo admitted that he once supported the previous administration's anti-drug campaign but developed doubts due to reported deaths under the anti-illegal drug operations.
Senate Turmoil Intensifies
The senator's statement follows calls to continue investigations related to the war on drugs and other matters of accountability for government officials. Meanwhile, the situation in the Senate further heated up after events on Wednesday, June 3, where Senator Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian was installed as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President, attended by minority bloc senators including Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero. Following this, a reshuffling of several Senate committees also took place.
Blue Ribbon Committee Leadership Change
This includes the transfer of the Blue Ribbon Committee chairmanship to Tulfo, which was previously headed by Senator Pia Cayetano. As the new chairperson of the committee, Tulfo said that an investigation into flood control projects is scheduled to begin on June 8. However, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano issued a memorandum stating that the scheduled hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee will proceed today, June 4, 2026, regarding alleged anomalous flood control projects.
