Sherwin Gatchalian digs into Senate records to defend 12-member quorum

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday defended the legality of the June 3 Senate session that elected him Senate President Pro Tempore, saying Senate records show that a 12-member quorum has repeatedly been recognized in previous Congresses.

In a news release, Gatchalian cited several plenary sessions between 2008 and 2020 in which only 12 senators were present and a quorum was declared, including a May 2020 session held while former senator and incumbent ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima was under detention.

"Hindi natin pwedeng baguhin ang kasaysayan. Ang Senate records mismo ang nagpapatunay na hindi na bago ang nangyaring sesyon noong June 3 at ito ay lehitimo," Gatchalian said.

(We cannot change history. The Senate records themselves show that what happened on June 3 was not unprecedented and that the session was legitimate.)

On June 3, Gatchalian was elected Senate President Pro Tempore after the Senate reconvened, paving the way for senators in attendance to declare him acting Senate President.

However, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has maintained that he remains the leader of the upper chamber. On Monday, Cayetano proposed an interim administrative-sharing arrangement with Gatchalian amid the ongoing leadership dispute.

The Senate remains embroiled in a leadership impasse, prompting several former Senate presidents to call for its immediate resolution.

They urged incumbent lawmakers to focus instead on pressing national concerns, including the economy, food security, and energy security.—MCG, GMA News