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(2nd UPDATE) Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian reaffirms the legitimacy of the latest leadership change in the upper chamber. Alan Peter Cayetano insists he remains in control of the Senate.
MANILA, Philippines – A day after the 12-person “new majority” installed Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president, his camp and Alan Peter Cayetano‘s bloc are still both fighting for control over the upper chamber.
“Let’s go back to work,” Gatchalian said in a 9 am press conference on Thursday, June 4. He doubled down on his camp’s legal justification to hold a session on Wednesday, June 3, even with only 12 warm bodies on the plenary floor.
What Gatchalian has going for him is Malacañang and the House of Representative’s recognition of his acting Senate presidency, ousting Cayetano.
Gatchalian had earlier ordered Senate staff to work from home on Thursday, as a preemptive measure to ensure the peace and order in the chamber, which is still haunted by the trauma of a shooting incident weeks ago.
The night before, Cayetano, asserting his leadership, sent a memo to Senate staff saying that all hearings previously scheduled will still proceed and directed all Senate officials “to render their full cooperation and assistance in connection with the said hearing.”
In an advisory on Thursday morning, Gatchalian authorized Senate employees who reported on-site to leave the office beginning at 10 am, since there’s no “official business scheduled.”
Gatchalian said this is “in consideration of the safety, security, and well-being of Senate personnel in light of the anticipated activities within and around the Senate premises.”
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla was seen at the Senate on Thursday, which Gatchalian confirmed was upon his request, in view of the anticipated tensions at the upper chamber that day.
“I personally sought the assistance of Sec. Remulla to ensure order and that the Senate premises is well-protected,” Gatchalian said.
‘Canceled’ flood control probe proceeds
A blue ribbon hearing on flood control corruption had been scheduled at 10 am on Thursday, but was canceled on Wednesday, based on the committee schedule on the Senate website, which remained unchanged on Thursday. One of the resource persons, lawyer Levi Baligod, said in a social media post on Wednesday that Senator Pia Cayetano, the panel chair then, withdrew their invitation to the hearing.
On Thursday, however, Baligod and his clients, the former soldiers who implicated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former speaker Martin Romualdez in the flood control corruption scandal, were able to enter Senate premises as guests of the Cayetanos. Under Senate rules, resource persons cannot enter Senate premises without any valid invitation but they can do so as senators’ guests.
Pia Cayetano and Senator Robin Padilla escorted the former soldiers but there was a brief commotion when they crossed paths Remulla on their way to the stairs. Remulla and Padilla were seen pushing each other before the group eventually proceeded to the Senate plenary hall on the second floor for the hearing.
The Cabinet official said he was already going out of the building and had to be in a defensive stance to “protect” himself from the crowd, as the media swarmed the other group. Cayetano, however, insisted he was blocking their entry.
Remulla said he also went to the Senate to clarify with Gatchalian whether former public works official Brice Hernandez should still be brought to the blue ribbon committee hearing as a resource person. He was told that the new panel chair, Senator Erwin Tulfo, had written the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan that the hearing was canceled that day.
The Cayetano-allied senators lamented the lack of blue ribbon committee staff for the Thursday hearing, which was supposed to have been canceled that day. Senator Erwin Tulfo was earlier elected as chairman of the panel, and scheduled the hearing on Monday, June 8.
Alan Cayetano, in his speech, warned Senate employees of committing a criminal offense should they bar his guests from entering Senate premises. Aside from the Cayetano siblings, the other senators with them were Rodante Marcoleta who presided the hearing, Robin Padilla, and Imee Marcos.
Special session eyed
Responding to questions, Gatchalian said that he will consult with other senators on the need for a special session to address the pending measures left hanging when sessions were halted due to the absence of the Cayetano bloc.
He said they would have to draw a list of measures that need to be tackled and passed, and personalities who need to be confirmed if the special session would be held. This would also have to be recommended to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was the power to convene a special session whiel Congress is in recess.
Gatchalian said that aside from the anti-hospital detention bill and other measures to ease the inflationary impact of the oil crisis, he also wanted to ensure the confirmation of the promotion of five generals before they reach their retirement age.
Marcos earlier said the Senate needed to “get back to work,” citing necessary legislation including a possible supplemental budget in response to disruptions and hardships caused by the global oil crisis.– With reports from Jelo Mantaring/Rappler.com
