MANILA, Philippines β Newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano's claim that no senator has ever been arrested inside Senate premises is false. Two of the five former senators he named to support his claim β Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima β were indeed arrested within the Senate complex, according to verified news reports.
Trillanes was arrested in 2018 inside the Senate building on charges of rebellion and other crimes related to the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. De Lima, a former senator and human rights advocate, was arrested in 2017 at the Senate on drug-related charges, which she has consistently denied as politically motivated.
Cayetano made the statement during a speech on May 11, 2026, after being elected Senate president. He listed five senators β including Trillanes and de Lima β as examples of those who were not arrested in the Senate, but historical records contradict this. The arrests were widely covered by local media and confirmed by official court documents.
The claim has been fact-checked by multiple news organizations, including Rappler and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which documented the arrests. The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms office also confirmed the incidents at the time.
This error highlights the importance of verifying historical facts, especially when used to support political arguments. As of May 12, 2026, no correction has been issued by Cayetano's office.
