Alan Peter Cayetano

Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (Tagalog: [kajɛˈtano]; born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino politician and lawyer who served as the 33rd president of the Senate for 23 days after being ousted. He is a Senator of the Philippines since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was previously a congressman from 1998-2007 and 2019-2022, serving as speaker of the House of Representatives for 15 months and later being ousted and secretary of foreign affairs for 17 months.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano was born in Mandaluyong on October 28, 1970 to Filipino lawyer Renato "Compañero" Cayetano and kindergarten teacher Sandra Schramm, an American of German ethnicity from Michigan. He was raised in Parañaque and moved to Taguig in 1991. Although he inherited United States citizenship by descent, he relinquished his U.S. citizenship in 1998, which was formally granted in 1999.^[1]

Councilor of Taguig (1992–1995)

Cayetano, then a junior year college student at University of the Philippines, was elected as councilor of the then-municipality of Taguig in 1992. Elected at the age of 21, he was the youngest elected councilor in the country in 1992, and served alongside actor Rene Requiestas and six other councilors. He became Taguig's Majority Floor Leader and held various positions, such as the vice-chairperson of the People's Law Enforcement Board.^[1]

Vice mayor of Taguig (1998)

Cayetano was elected vice mayor of Taguig in the 1995 local elections, but was only proclaimed on June 20, 1998, ten days before the end of his term, due to contentious electoral disputes with his opponent Loida Labao-Alzona, a former mayoral candidate in 1992. The two eventually reconciled with each other, with Cayetano inviting Labao-Alzona to be godmother at his wedding with Lani in 2004. According to Cayetano's profile in the book Senate Memento 2013, the three-year electoral dispute was when Cayetano "realized that his political detractors would spare nothing to stop him in his advocacy for good governance."^[1]

House of Representatives (1998–2007)

Cayetano ran for the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 1998 as the representative of the lone district of Taguig–Pateros under the Liberal Party. He was the youngest elected representative at the 11th Congress at age 27.^[1]

Senate (2007–2017)

Cayetano ran for senator in 2007 under the Genuine Opposition coalition and won, placing ninth among of the 12 winning candidates. He was elected Senate Minority Leader for the 15th Congress in 2010.^[1]

Pork barrel scam and campaign donations

During the height of the pork barrel scam in mid 2013, Janet Lim-Napoles in her affidavit included Cayetano's name in her list of lawmakers whom she worked with. Napoles claimed that the agent who liaised with Cayetano was a certain "Tito Boy" who claims to be an uncle of Cayetano. Napoles however said that the initial payment to Tito Boy was returned since they could not meet Cayetano's higher demand.^[1]

Oplan Stop Nognog 2016

In February 2016, the lawyer of Vice President Jejomar Binay disclosed to the media that Cayetano, along with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice, Vince Dizon, Ronald Llamas, Hernani Braganza, along with businessmen Enrico Gutierrez of SR Metals, and Salvador Zamora of Nickel Asia were engaging in discreet meetings that aimed to derail his 2016 presidential campaign dubbed as Oplan Stop Nognog. Nognog is a cartoon character popularized during the 1960 and 1970s, and it has become a pejorative towards dark skinned individuals. Trillanes and Cayetano had previously led the 25 hearings of the Blue Ribbon Committee on the wealth and assets of Binay.^[1]

2016 vice presidential campaign

In a press event held in Davao City, Senator Cayetano announced that he would seek election for vice president in the 2016 national elections under the Nacionalista Party, but did not mention who would be his presidential running mate. On November 21, 2015, it was made official that Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte would be his running mate for the 2016 presidential elections.^[1]

2016 election squabble

During the launch of the Duterte-Cayetano at Tondo, Manila, Cayetano's staff were accused by the senatoriable candidates of the camp, Sandra Cam, Greco Belgica, Gen. Dionisio Santiago (Ret.), Rafael Alunan III, and Ding Diaz, of blocking their opportunity to go to the platform and hold their own speeches.^[1]