MANILA — Malacañang said Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano should not have allowed the weeks-long disorder in the upper chamber to persist if he was truly acting in the interest of the Filipino people.

In a report, it said that Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro made the statement as she reiterated that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has no involvement in the developments in the Senate.

“Ang kaguluhan po sa Senado ay kagagawan po ng mga senador na ngayon ay pinamumunuan mismo ni Senator Alan Cayetano,” Castro said in a Balitanghali interview.

“Nasa leadership po ‘yan. Kung siya po ay talagang para sa bayan, hindi po naman siguro niya gagawin at papayagan ang ganitong kaguluhan sa Senado,” she added.

Castro also dismissed Cayetano’s earlier claim that the Senate’s independence was being challenged.

“Kuwento lang po ‘yan ni Senator Alan Cayetano. Wala naman po ‘yang basehan,” she said.

She likewise said the President had no hand in the situation, adding that executive intervention would have prevented the disruption if it were indeed occurring.

“Kung nakikialam po ang Pangulo sa nangyayari diyan, hindi na po magkakagulo ng ganyan,” she said.

Earlier Wednesday, Marcos urged senators to return to work after plenary sessions were stalled due to the absence of members of the majority bloc. He said the situation has disrupted the chamber’s legislative function.

“It has discredited the leadership. It stopped the essential business of legislation in government,” Marcos said.

Malacañang said the prolonged Senate impasse could affect the passage of priority administration measures before the sine die adjournment of the first regular session of the 20th Congress.