MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile's now controversial chief of staff Jessica "Gigi" Reyes "profusely" apologized to Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday for labeling him as among "hypocrites" critical of her boss.
Reyes, who was lashed by Cayetano during his privilege speech with Enrile on Wednesday, released a statement and public apology for her "offensive statements" in her previous interview on DZMM.
"I committed a serious ethical breach in making the remark: 'They are hypocrites'. I am sorry that I was driven by my emotional state," Reyes said, referring to interviewees' remarks citing Cayetano's allegations she was asked to react to.
The aide explained that Cayetano's remarks criticizing the so-called cash gifts Enrile distributed to senators in December seemed hypocritical to her as he never returned them as Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago did.
"When Ms. Davila asked me for my last words and I said 'They are hypocrites', such was my own spontaneous reaction and it was not sanctioned by the Senate President ... I really ought to have kept that feeling to myself.," she added.
Reyes also apologized for stepping beyond her league in referring to Cayetano by his first name despite his being a senator.
"I do not mean this as an excuse for such unethical behavior, but perhaps due to my long years of working in the Senate, almost all of 25 years, some of the younger Senators and I have come to call each other on a first-name basis ... it was highly inappropriate for me to refer to Senator Cayetano simply as 'Alan'," Reyes said.
Cayetano alleged in his speech that Reyes, who signs checks in behalf of Enrile, has unseen powers in the Senate halls, sparking controversies on her relations with Enrile.
"As to my authority to sign checks, two of us in the staff were authorized in writing by the Senate President to sign the voluminous checks, payrolls and other administrative documents coming from the Secretariat on his behalf," she said.
Reyes thus expressed her regret for being "derisively" called "the 25th Senator" as the label used to be a joke among the lawmakers whenever they offered her a seat in meetings.
"I never harbored any illusion or delusion that I am or will ever be their equal. I have tried to serve all of them and accommodate their needs and requests to the best of my ability and within the authority given." she added.
Referring to previous reports that she resigned on Wednesday right after Cayetano's address at the Senate session, Reyes said it was "irrevocable" and did not need Enrile's acceptance.
"By its nature, the same need not await the Senate President's acceptance and I have given instructions for my own copy to be filed with the Senate Secretary," she said.
Enrile told the media that he refused to accept Reyes's resignation as she has worked for him for 25 years and a trusted aide.
"My resignation is but proper because of the rightful indignation of Sen. Cayetano and perhaps some of the other Senators. I had no right to speak ill of any Senator while I served in the Senate," she wrote.
No special privileges
Reyes, however, denied Cayetano's allegations that people have to go through her before reaching the Senate President and that she enjoys privileges such as sitting in exclusive meetings as Enrile's closest aide.
"I do not butt in when the Senators are discussing in caucus, and I am not the only non-Senator present at these caucuses. I speak only when I am asked to give information or my inputs, and always respectfully," Reyes said, adding that she does so in behalf of 89-year-old Enrile, who already has difficulties in hearing and seeing.
She also answered Cayetano's claims that she freely enters senators' offices and approaches them without permission.
"I never abused their kindness and friendship. I was therefore surprised when I heard Sen. Alan Cayetano say that I can go in and out of their offices. I have gone into Sen. Cayetano's office only once," Reyes said.
Grudge not about RH nor sin tax
In a television interview, Cayetano said that he thinks Enrile has personal resentment against him and his sister Senator Pia reportedly owing to their stand in support of the Reproductive Health bill and the sin tax measure.
Reyes suggested in her statement that such were not the reasons why Enrile harbors "personal hurt" involving the siblings, something which "the public will never know and understand."
"It is quite deeply rooted, and by the way, it is not related to the RH bill itself, much less, to local politics in Taguig," Reyes said.
She also defended Enrile's act of "spontaneously" drawing out a document stating an unpaid loan of Cayetano's late father, saying his allegations angered him enough to take the debate personally.