MANILA, Philippines — A leadership standoff has gripped the Philippine Senate on Wednesday after the faction of newly installed Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian declared Senator Alan Peter Cayetano formally ousted, a move Cayetano swiftly condemned as an unconstitutional power grab.
Following a dramatic sine die adjournment that involved a sweeping reorganization of committee chairmanships, the Gatchalian-led bloc issued a firm statement asserting that Cayetano has been stripped of his leadership.
The bloc argued that the 12 senators present during the session constituted a valid quorum, citing the Supreme Court jurisprudence in Avelino v. Cuenco, which recognizes a base number of 22 senators.
“For clarity, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is no longer Senate President after the Senate, with 12 senators present and a quorum declared based on the recognized base number of 22 under Avelino v. Cuenco, voted to declare all positions vacant, including the presidency of the institution,” the new majority stated.
Despite Gatchalian assuming the role of Senate President Pro Tempore and acting chief, his bloc acknowledged that he has yet to secure the official title of Senate President, as the Constitution strictly requires 13 votes for the position.
“Hindi pa lamang naihahalal si Senator Win Gatchalian bilang bagong Senate President dahil kailangan pa ng 13 boto sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon. Pero ito ang malinaw at mahalaga ngayon: bakante na ang lahat ng posisyon, tapos na ang dating liderato at dapat magpatuloy ang trabaho ng Senado para sa taumbayan (Senator Win Gatchalian has not yet been elected as the new Senate President because 13 votes are still needed under the Constitution. But this is clear and important now: all positions are vacant, the previous leadership is over, and the work of the Senate must continue for the people),” the group added.
In a fiery response via a Facebook livestream, Cayetano rejected the legality of the session and his subsequent removal. He insisted that the chamber requires a strict majority of 13 out of the 24 members to legally conduct business and elect new leadership.
“Ang majority po ng 24 ay 13 po. 13 po ang numero (The majority of 24 is 13. The number is 13),” Cayetano argued.
The embattled senator dismissed the application of the Avelino v. Cuenco ruling to the current impasse. He pointed out that since the Senate had previously adjourned on May 26, a fresh roll call was legally mandated for its scheduled resumption on June 1.
Furthermore, Cayetano contested Gatchalian’s designation as acting Senate President, noting that under the rules of the chamber, succession is only triggered in the event of resignation, removal, death, or absolute incapacity of the sitting leader.
“This is an illegal coup d’etat na may kasamang pagbabasura ng ating Konstitusyon (that comes with the discarding of our Constitution),” Cayetano declared.
Calling the sudden chamber overhaul a direct violation of the law, he refused to step down.| (PNA)
