Senate leadership change 'valid,' says ex-SP Koko Pimentel

Former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday expressed belief that the leadership change on Wednesday, which installed Sherwin Gatchalian as the new acting Senate President, was “valid.”

Pimentel, however, clarified that Gatchalian serves only as acting Senate President and cannot perform the duties of a Senate President under the Constitution.

“Sa tingin ko, valid kasi may quorum. Bakit ko nasabi na may quorum? Kasi nga 23 lang 'yung puwede mag-attend eh kasi 'yung isa under court detention eh,” Pimentel said in a Balitanghali interview.

(I think it's valid because there was a quorum. Why? Because only 23 could attend because one senator is under court detention.)

“So ano ang majority ng 23? Hindi ba 12? O so mas marami na 'yung 12 eh, 'yun na yung pinaka, 'yun na 'yung malaking numero sa loob ng 23 na hindi na tatalunin ng iba pang numero,” he added.

(So what is the majority of 23? Isn't it 12? 12 is a number within 23 that could not be beat by other numbers.)

Twelve senators on Wednesday elected Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/990130/avelino-cuenco-case/story/

Citing the case of Avelino v. Cuenco, Gatchalian said the Supreme Court found that an absolute majority of 12 out of 23 members could constitute a constitutional majority for quorum purposes.

Following the leadership change, Pimentel said that the “crisis” at the Senate may soon end.

“So we have we a crisis pero the point is, papaano ba nasosolusyunan ang problema sa Senado (how could we solve the problem at the Senate)? By majority rule,” he explained.

He also said that as a former Senate President, he is willing to mediate to help fix the problem at the chamber.

“Pero kahit na hindi ako namagitan, nakikita ko na puwede na, malapit na eh. For as long as merong majority, tapos for as long as mga disente 'yung mga senador natin at alam nila na kailangan nilang galangin 'yung majority,” Pimentel said.

(But even if I didn't intervene, I see that we’re close to fixing this, for as long as there is a majority and our senators are decent and they know that they have to respect the majority.) —Giselle Ombay/LDF, GMA News