6 days ago
3
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Renalyn Ramirez - Philstar.com
June 22, 2026 | 11:48am
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian speaks at a press conference on June 18, 2026, declaring the chamber's "back to work" agenda after weeks of disputes over leadership.
Senate SMU / Released
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian denied the accusations of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano that the new majority wants to control the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte and cover up the investigation on the flood control mess.
The claims were made by Cayetano in a Facebook live on June 18, a day after Gatchalian officially took the Senate presidency during the first special session of the Congress. Thirteen senators, including Sen. Joel Villanueva, was present during the session, completing the needed quorum for official leadership change.
Cayetano was then formally replaced in the position after weeks of dispute.
“Gusto niyo tuloy-tuloy na yung impeachment. At ang gusto niyo, grupo niyo ang magdikta ng tempo through the presiding officer…Number two lang pala ‘yung impeachment. Ang number one, ‘yung cover up dito sa flood control,” Cayetano said.
(You want the impeachment [trial] to be continuous. And you want your group to dictate its tempo through the presiding officer… Actually, the impeachment is just number two [among your intentions]. The number one is to cover up the flood control [investigation])
No cover-up, says Gatchalian
Gatchalian addressed Cayetano’s remark, saying that the Blue Ribbon Committee under its new chairperson Sen. Erwin Tulfo, has no intention to bury the flood control corruption issue.
“Very clear, sinabi ni Chairman Erwin Tulfo na itutuloy niya itong flood control [investigation]. Pero dapat maayos at mayroong mga affidavits na isa-submit sa committee,” Gatchalian said during an interview with dzMM on June 19.
[It is very clear, Chairman Erwin Tulfo said he will pursue the flood control [investigation]. But, it should be done properly and affidavits must be submitted to the [Blue Ribbon] committee.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also denied the cover up claims, saying that the investigation on the flood control corruption scandal actually started from a privilege speech of Sen. Ping Lacson, who is a new majority member and a former chairperson of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
Evidence, not leadership change
In matters of impeachment trial, Gatchalian stressed that the evidence coming from the side of the House prosecution panel and Duterte’s camp, and not the changes in Senate leadership and composition, are influential to the course of the trial.
“That will depend on the evidence to be presented by both sides, the prosecution and the defense. [The evidence] will sway the Senator-Judges, not the changes in Senate leadership, majority and minority blocs,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.
Gatchalian also said that the senators are yet to discuss the election of the presiding officer. Earlier, Lacson said that Sen. Chiz Escudero may be elected for the position.
The House prosecution panel and Duterte’s legal representatives are back at the Senate on Monday, June 22, for the second day of the pretrial conference. The stipulation of facts, list of witnesses and sets of evidence are being discussed in the conference.
The lead prosecutor from the House prosecution panel earlier confirmed that the impeachment trial against the vice president is expected to begin on July 6.
