Manila, May 16 -- In a rare and unprecedented show of unity, former members of the historically rival student political formations from the University of the Philippines - SAMASA and Nagkaisang Tugon - have jointly called for the resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, describing his actions during the recent Senate controversy involving Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa as a "grave failure of leadership, judgment, and institutional responsibility."

SAMASA and Tugon represented competing traditions and sharply divided political convictions and, for decades, stood on opposite sides of some of the fiercest ideological and political battles in UP student politics, particularly during the 1980s.

In a joint statement released Sat...