MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday officially recognized Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as the acting Senate President, stating that the sudden leadership overhaul in the upper chamber followed democratic processes and the rule of law.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro affirmed that the executive branch respects the decision made by the senators and recognizes the chamber’s newly formed leadership.
“Ang nangyari sa Senado ngayong hapon ay naaayon sa batas at rule of law (What happened in the Senate this afternoon is in accordance with the rule of law),” Castro said.
“Kinikilala at nirerespeto ng Palasyo ang desisyon ng bagong mayorya at ang liderato ni Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian (The Palace recognizes and respects the decision of the new majority and the leadership of acting Senate President Win Gatchalian),” she added.
The remarks follow days of legislative impasse triggered by the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada and the subsequent absences of the former majority bloc led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
The impasse ended when Senator Francis Escudero joined the minority bloc to form a quorum, leading to Gatchalian’s election as acting Senate Presidentand Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri’s appointment as Chairperson of the Committee on Rules. Former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, acting as the chamber’s most senior member, administered Gatchalian’s oath.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had previously warned that the Senate’s disarray threatened the passage of crucial economic measures, especially those addressing rising global oil prices.
Emphasizing the need to legislate, Castro noted the executive and judiciary branches are already functioning.
“Nakikita natin ang epekto nito hindi lang sa kanilang liderato pero pati sa ekonomiya kaya ang gusto ng Pangulo ay magtrabaho na po lahat dahil ang ehekutibo, ang judiciary nagtratrabaho so dapat din po na ang Kongreso—lalong lalo na ang Senado—ay magpatuloy sa pagtratrabaho (We can see its effect not only on their leadership but also on the economy, which is why the President wants everyone to get to work because the executive and the judiciary are working, so Congress—especially the Senate—should also continue working),” Castro told reporters in a separate chance interview.
Furthermore, Castro dismissed accusations that the arrests of opposition lawmakers amounted to political persecution.
“Ang nangyayari kasi ngayon, kapag gumagawa sila ng mga labag sa batas at kapag sila ay naaakusahan at naiimbestigahan, ang sasabihin lang nila ay laging political persecution (What is happening now is, when they commit something illegal and when they are accused or investigated, all they say is that it is always political persecution),” she said.
“Kung wala naman silang nilalabag na batas at tamang pagkritiko lamang, hindi naman sila makakasuhan, so siguro sila din dapat ang unang tumupad sa batas at sila rin ang unang huwag na lalabag sa batas (If they are not violating any laws and are merely engaging in proper criticism, they wouldn’t be charged, so perhaps they should also be the first ones to abide by the law and the first ones not to violate it),” she added.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has yet to answer allegations that Marcos met with Escudero hours before the senator went to the Senate to cast the deciding vote that dismantled Cayetano’s majority.| Sheenalei Briana Rayos
