Alan Peter Cayetano invites Sherwin Gatchalian to a meeting to settle Senate leadership issue

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano invited Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian to a meeting to settle who among them is the “true Senate president.”

“I’ll offer you a solution, Senator Win. Mag-meeting tayo. May naiisip akong solusyon. Mahirap humanap ng solusyon kung sino ang tunay na Senate president kasi ’yung tatlong libro na hawak ko ay nagsasabing ang legitimate Senate president ay ’yung nahalal ng 13,” Cayetano said in a Facebook livestream on Saturday.

(I’ll offer you a solution, Senator Win. Let’s hold a meeting. I have a solution in mind. It is difficult to find a solution regarding who the true Senate president is because the three books I hold state that the legitimate Senate president is the one elected by the 13.)

Cayetano is referring to the books of the Philippine Constitution, the Rules of the Senate, and the Bible on his table.

GMA News Online asked Gatchalian for comment but he has yet to issue a statement as of posting time.

In a Senate session on June 3, with 12 senators present — the minority senators plus Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero — a quorum was declared based on the Supreme Court decision in the Avelino v. Cuenco case in 1949. The High Court ruled then that an absolute majority of 12 constitutes constitutional majority of the Senate for the purpose of a quorum after one senator, Tomas Confesor, was in the United States and was outside the Senate’s jurisdiction.

All elected positions of the Senate, including that of Senate president, were declared vacant during that June 3 session.

Gatchalian was elected Senate President Pro Tempore, paving the way for the minority bloc-led senators in attendance to declare him the acting Senate president. Senate committee leaderships were also overhauled.

Cayetano is no longer Senate President, a statement from the "new majority" said Wednesday.

However, Cayetano insisted that he remains the "legitimate, legal and moral" Senate president.

“The Senate shall elect its president and the House of Representatives its speaker by the majority vote of all of its members… Iba po 'yon sa sinasabi rito ‘a majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business, ” Cayetano said, citing a provision in the Philippine Constitution.

Cayetano added that the officers of the Senate—secretary, sergeant-at-arms, Senate president pro tempore, and the Senate president—shall be decided with a quorum of 13.

This argument is similar to the statement of Senator Loren Legarda in her video statement Saturday.

"[Taong] 1949 pa ang kasong ito at naganap sa ilalim ng 1935 Constitution. Nagbago na ang Saligang Batas, 1987 Constitution na ang sumasaklaw sa atin,” Legarda said.

(This case dates back to 1949 and occurred under the 1935 Constitution. The Constitution has since changed, and we are now governed by the 1987 Constitution.)

“Dito, malinaw na labing tatlo ang kinakailangang boto para maghalal ng pangulo ng Senado, at parehong bilang din ang kinakailangan para sa pagboto ng mga opisyal,” she added.

(Under this framework, it is clear that thirteen votes are required to elect a Senate President, and the same number is needed to vote for other officials.)

Gatchalian had responded to Legarda’s course of reasoning.

“Of course, we respect her opinion, but matibay rin ang opinion ng Integrated Bar of the Philippines, ‘yung association ng mga law school deans, of course, ‘yung mga former Senate presidents,” Gatchalian told reporters.

(Of course, we respect her opinion, but the opinions of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the association of law school deans, and, of course, the former Senate presidents also hold significant weight.)

In previous reports, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and other law experts have issued a statement declaring the adoption of the Gatchalian-led bloc of the Avelino v. Cuenco case as valid.

Warning

In his video address, Cayetano warned Gatchalian not to be used by Malacañang and the other members of his bloc.

"Mag-ingat si Sen. Win kasi maganda naman ang future niya. Huwag kang magpagamit sa Malacañang at doon sa mga kasamahan mo kahit binibigyan ka ng high position," Cayetano said.

(Senator Win should be careful because he has a bright future. Do not let yourself be used by Malacañang and those colleagues of yours, even if they are offering you a high position.)

On Wednesday, Malacañang said it recognizes the leadership of Gatchalian.

“Ang nangyari sa Senado ngayong hapon ay naaayon sa batas at Rule of Law. Kinikilala at nirerespeto ng Palasyo ang desisyon ng bagong mayorya at ang liderato ni acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

(What happened in the Senate this afternoon was legal and in accordance with the rule of law. The Palace recognizes and respects the decision of the new majority and the leadership of acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.)

Lacson

Cayetano alleged that Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson, had used committee hearings to “protect” the then-majority.

“Basically ang sinasabi, nakipagsabwatan si Senator Lacson sa administrasyon para iporma laban kay Jinggoy, kay Chiz, kay Joel, etc. Regardless kung may zero truth, partial truth… and then may mga pinagtakpan from masterminds [to] lower,” Cayetano alleged in his livestream.

(Basically, they're saying that Senator Lacson colluded with the administration to plot against Jinggoy, Chiz, Joel, and others. Whether there’s zero truth or partial truth to it... they covered up for people from the masterminds down to the bottom.)

The senator added that it was during this moment that he discovered that the senators’ charges over alleged involvement in the flood control scandal were “negotiable.”

“At doon ko nga nakita ‘yung leeway ni Senator Lacson na—kasi may sinabi si Senator Lacson doon na parang, ‘di kausapin natin yung namamahala kasi yung witness na yan ay hindi credible,” Cayetano said.

(And that’s where I saw Senator Lacson’s leeway—because Senator Lacson said something along the lines of, ‘No, let’s talk to the management instead, because that witness is not credible.)

Lacson on Sunday meanwhile posted on X: "The Executive Department, House of Representatives, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, law deans, law professors, former Senate presidents and many others do not recognize Senator Alan Cayetano as the President of the Senate. So, what is he?"

"'When you're strong on the law, pound the law. When you're strong on the facts, pound the facts. When you're weak on both...' -- mag-Facebook live ka na lang (just used Facebook live)," he added.

On Facebook, Lacson also wrote on Sunday: "Ang taong walang ebidensya at sandigan sa batas kaya nagigipit, sa Facebook Live na lang kumakapit."

(The man who has no evidence and law backing is pushed back against the wall, so he turns to Facebook Live.) —with a report from Mariel Celine Serquiña/KG, GMA News