Cautionary tales about Cayetano and Escudero
They were called “Bright Boys” when they both became congressmen for the first time in 1998. They were elected together as senators in 2007, as a result of the national prominence they gained after playing frontline roles in the fight to impeach the scandal-stained former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. They went on to become leaders of both legislative chambers, with one becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives and the other becoming Senate President.
I still remember how Alan Peter Cayetano and Francis Joseph Escudero wooed civil society leaders for their support when they campaigned for the 2007 senatorial elections. They were both articulate, mouthed fiery rhetoric against corruption, and espoused forceful adherence to democratic fundamentals. Civil society leaders were convinced that the two could become potent agents of change, so they jumped on their bandwagon.
After they both won seats in the Senate, even their shadows were never seen again by their civil society supporters, who felt spurned and then swindled as they witnessed the two spiral into the most degenerative politicians, even more despised than the hated politicians they had fought against. The two became allies and defenders of, and apologists for, the most murderous and the most corruption-stained political family that has ever ruled our country—the Dutertes.
Cayetano actively pursued a vice-presidential tandem with Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 elections. He went on to collect a string of juicy posts while acting as an unabashed cheerleader, as Duterte went on a murderous rampage all over the country. Cayetano became secretary of Foreign Affairs, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee.
As Duterte’s Foreign secretary, Cayetano defended the bloody and violent record of Duterte by falsely claiming that all those who were killed during police operations were criminal drug dealers. Asked by the foreign press if he found it difficult to represent Duterte because of his controversial statements, including rape jokes, and calling the Pope a “son of a bitch” and the United States ambassador to the Philippines a “son of a whore,” Cayetano declared that “Filipinos are prouder now than ever.”
Unlike Cayetano, Escudero did not endorse or praise the bloody drug war during the Duterte presidency. He came out criticizing facets of the drug war, but only after Duterte was already out of office. For the duration of the Duterte presidency, there was no display of the kind of leader who rose to prominence, confronting and condemning a corrupt and abusive incumbent president. Escudero stood silent—enjoyed his cushy posts and the perks—as the nation got drenched in blood and was robbed blind.
Escudero was Senate President when the House of Representatives filed articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. Despite the Constitution’s directive that “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed,” Escudero’s Senate threw technical hurdles that led to multiple delays until the Supreme Court issued a very controversial decision invalidating the impeachment process. Escudero has been widely accused of protecting the VP by impeding the impeachment.
More recently, Escudero has emerged as one of the lawmakers who allegedly profited from the corruption-laden public infrastructure projects. He received P30 million in election contributions from a contractor who secured 112 government contracts worth approximately P16.67 billion from 2021 to mid-2025, almost all of which were concentrated in his home province of Sorsogon, where he served as governor for a time. A total of P5.16 billion of those controversial contracts were flood control projects.
More recently, in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth, Escudero disclosed that his net worth is merely P18 million. Instantaneously, pictures spread online of a blue Paraiba tourmaline ring reportedly worth $1 million (P58 million) that Escudero gifted to his wife, Heart Evangelista, as well as multiple expensive watches (with just one piece reportedly worth P10.5 million) that he had been pictured wearing.
The people have anchored their hopes and dreams on leaders like Cayetano and Escudero for close to 30 years now. In those three decades, the two have amassed political and material fortunes while corruption has turned from bad to worse, and government-sponsored violence has degenerated to appalling levels in our country.
The stories of Cayetano and Escudero are cautionary tales that our people should remember as we are again lured by a new breed of young politicians who beguile as chest-thumping firebrands and who charm as righteous leaders.
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