MANILA, Philippines – Mas lalong tumindi ang banggaan ng mayorya sa pamumuno ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano at minorya sa pamumuno ni Acting Senate President “Pro-Tempore” Sherwin Gatchalian sa liderato ng Senado.
Dakong alas tres ng hapon, napalitan ang mayorya ni Cayetano ng isang simple majority ng 12 senador matapos tumalon ng bakod si Senador Francis “Chiz” Escudero na naghudyat upang magkaroon ng quorum sa pagbubukas ng sesyon.
Ngunit, pagkatapos ideklarang adjourned ng “simple majority” na pinamumunuan ni Gatchalian ang adjournment ng First Regular Session ng 20th Congress, nagbigay naman ng sariling pahayag si Cayetano na siya ang legal, moral at lehitimong senate president.
“Tuloy ang hearing ng Blue Ribbon Committee bukas, I am still the legitimate, moral and legal senate president of the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines,” ayon kay Cayetano sa kanyang Facebook live.
Pero, sinabi naman ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na mali ang paniniwala ni Cayetano na siya pa ang legal, moral at lehitimong Senate President dahil naideklarang bakante ang lahat ng posisyon sa Senado nang magkaroon ng quorum na 12 senador sa sesyon.
“Not accurate. Sen. Cayetano is no longer SP. With 12 senator present, a quorum was declared out of the base number of 22 since Senators (Ronald) Dela Rosa and (Jinggoy) Estrada are outside of “coercive power” of the Senate (Avelino vs Cuenco. No. 2821). Hence. we noted to declare all position vacant, although we could not elect a new SP because we lacked the 13 votes required under the Constitution,” paliwanag ni Lacson.
Nauna rito, binasa ni Gatchalian ang isang pahayag bago tuluyang isara ang sesyon dakong alas singko ng hapon na nagsasabing legal ang kanyang pagkakahalal bilang acting Senate President “Pro-Tempore” alinsunod sa umiiral na batas.
“Before we adjourn, the Chair would like to state for the record that we were compelled to call the session to order today. After the Senate adjourned on May 26, 2026, session was scheduled to resume on, Monday, June 1, 2026 and on Tuesday June 2, 2026 but the Senate President failed to appear in both instances,” ayon kay Gatchalian.
“Further, Article VI, Section 16(5) of the Constitution provides that neither House shall, during sessions of Congress, adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other House. The Senate has been adjourned and unable to resume session for the past two days, placing us on the brink of a Constitutional violation had we not convened today,” dagdag paliwanag ni Gatchalian.
Aniya, kung walang consulted postponement at kung patuloy ang pagliban ni Cayetano, maaaring tumawag ng sesyon ang Senate President Pro-Tempore at miyembro ng majority.
“The quorum of 12 is based on majority of twenty-two (22) Senators over whom jurisdiction can be obtained by the Senate. This is in full accord with the ruling of the Court in Avelino v. Cuenco, that an absolute majority of 12 out of 23 members can constitute a constitutional majority of the Senate for quorum purposes; and with precedent, specifically the May 5, 2015 Session where the quorum was based on seventeen (17) available senators, with seven (7) others beyond the Senate’s coercive jurisdiction,” ayon kay Gatchalian.
Sa kabilang dako, inihayag naman ni Cayetano na illegal ang sesyon na nangyari dahil walang ibang ginawa ang nagbukas ng sesyon kundi baguhin ang chairman ng Senate blue Ribbon Committee upang hindi matuloy ang pagdinig sa testimonya ng 18 dating sundalo hinggil sa flood control scandal.
“You’re playing around with fire. This is not just about the Senate. This is about the Philippine Constitution. Mga kababayan, sabi nila, ginawa nila ito kasi naipit ang trabaho. Wala naman po silang ginawa ngayon. Kung hindi, baguhin ang mga committee para walang Blue Ribbon Committee hearing bukas. Para hindi maimbitahan ang labing walong marines. Pinalitan nijla ang presiding officer. Bakit po, Nagpakita po ba ako ng kahit anong partiality sa pag-conduct or pag-usog ng impeachment court,” tanong ni Cayetano sa kanyang naunang Facebook live. Ernie Reyes
