Cayetano calls Gatchalian election 'illegal coup'; says Blue Ribbon hearing to continue on June 4, 2026 

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said on Wednesday that the installation of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President was an “illegal coup d’etat” after the chamber reconvened with 12 senators present.

Cayetano, who has yet to show up in the plenary since Monday along with senators in his bloc, maintained that 13 senators are needed to flip the leadership in the Senate.

“Ang tingin ba ng 12 senador ay basta kakampi mo ang Malacañang ay wala ng batas? Kung titingnan ng rule 1 and 2 ng Senado, na ayon ito sa Philippine Constitution, para i-elect ang Senate President at Senate President Tempore ay kailangan 13. So paano po nila aalisin si Senator Loren Legarda kung 12 lang sila?” he said in a Facebook live.

(Do the 12 senators think that just because Malacañang is on your side, there are no more laws? If you look at Rules 1 and 2 of the Senate, which are based on the Philippine Constitution, you need 13 [votes/senators] to elect the Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore. So, how can they remove Senator Loren Legarda if there are only 12 of them?)

“So wala pong ground para magkaroon ng acting Senate President. This is an illegal coup d'état na may kasamang pagbabasura ng ating Konstitusyon,” he added.

(So there are no grounds to have an acting Senate President. This is an illegal coup d'état accompanied by the trashing of our Constitution.)

Gatchalian was installed after the upper chamber reached a quorum following the appearance of Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero - the only majority bloc member who showed up after two days of their absences.

For its part, Malacañang said it recognizes the leadership change in the Senate.

Cayetano said that he can step down as Senate President anytime.

“Hindi po kami nagpipilit sa kapangyarihan. I can go as Senate President, or even as a senator, anytime. Hindi po ba't ako lang ang katangi-tanging mataas na opisyal na nung nangyari ang flood control scam ay nagsabi na bakit hindi na lang tayo lahat mag-resign?” he said.

(We are not clinging to power. I can step down as Senate President, or even as a senator, anytime. Wasn't I the only high-ranking official who, when the flood control scam happened, asked why don't we all just resign?)

“Actually, hindi nila ako tinanggal, naglagay ng ‘acting.’ Senator Win, lose ‘yan. Ingat kayo diyan. You are playing around with fire,” he said.

(Actually, they didn't remove me, they just put an 'acting' [one]. Senator Win, that is a loss. Watch out, you are playing around with fire.)

Along with the Senate shakeup, there were also new committee chairpersons named.

Senator Erwin Tulfo is the new chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that will continue hearings on the flood control scandal.

He said the hearing will be held on Monday, June 8, instead of Thursday.

For her part, Senator Loren Legarda echoed that no senator can validly act as Senate President with only 12 votes.

“When the Constitution and the rules are clear, these must be applied as written,” Legarda said in a statement. “The Senate is composed of 24 members. A majority of 24 is 13. Without 13 senators present, the Senate cannot validly transact business.”

“The temporary absence of some members should not become a reason to lower their representation or weaken the mandate of the people who elected them,” she added. “Until there is a vacancy, resignation, expulsion, final disqualification, or other legal basis recognized by law, their seats remain part of the Senate’s full membership.”

Flood control hearing

Cayetano said that the shakeup was meant to block the resumption of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the flood control mess on Thursday.

“Mga kababayan, sabi nila ginawa nila ito dahil naipit ang trabaho. Wala naman silang ginawa ngayon kung hindi baguhin ang mga committee, para walang Blue Ribbon Committee hearing bukas, para hindi maimbitahan ang 18 Marines,” said Cayetano.

(My fellow countrymen, they said they did this because work was getting stalled. But they didn't do anything today except change the committees, so that there would be no Blue Ribbon Committee hearing tomorrow, and so that the 18 Marines would not be invited.)

He maintained that the hearing would still proceed as scheduled on Thursday.

“But tomorrow, tuloy ang hearing ng Blue Ribbon Committee. I am still the legitimate, legal, and moral Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines, and there are still functioning committees. We have to hear the testimonies. Invited po pati yung mga gumawa ng ilegal ngayon,” he said.

(But tomorrow, the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing will proceed. I am still the legitimate, legal, and moral Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines, and there are still functioning committees. We have to hear the testimonies. Even those who committed illegal acts today are invited.)

Interviewed on "24 Oras" on Wednesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson said conducting a Blue Ribbon hearing would be "illegal."

"Ang masasabi ko lang, illegal ang hearing kasi vacated na at may bago ng chair ang Blue Ribbon," Lacson said.

He said it would be up to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms to maintain order if the group of Cayetano would force the hearing.

On Tuesday, minority senators denied that they were attempting to stop the Blue Ribbon Committee from resuming its legislative inquiry into the alleged flood control mess.

“Walang pinipigil na hearings. Figment of their imagination ang ginagawa nila. Wala kaming ginagawang hadlang sa proseso ng Senado at mga agenda ng Senado,” Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

(We are not stopping any hearings. That is a figment of their imagination. We are not obstructing Senate processes or its agenda.)

In response to the call by the minority senators to resign after the majority bloc’s continued absence in the plenary sessions, Cayetano said that they are still welcome to be part of the committees. —LDF/VBL, GMA News