Palace: No constitutional crisis amid Senate leadership row

Malacañang on Tuesday said it does not see a constitutional crisis amid the ongoing leadership dispute in the Senate.

“Sa mata ng Malacañang, walang constitutional crisis,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

(In the eyes of Malacañang, there is no constitutional crisis.)

Castro also reiterated that Malacañang recognizes only the leadership of Gatchalian in the upper chamber.

Asked for updates on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s possible call for a special session, Castro said the matter is still being finalized.

“Ang gusto po ng Pangulo ay mauna ang Senado na magkasundo dahil kahit sabihin natin na mayroong hiling ang Pangulo para sa isang special session, kung sila mismo po ay hindi magkakasundo, mababalewala po ang naisin ng Pangulo,” she said.

(What the President wants is for the Senate to resolve its issues first because even if we say that the President has a request for a special session, if the senators themselves cannot settle their issues, the President's call will be put to waste.)

“Dapat ayusin po nila ang Senado. Ito naman ay para sa taumbayan, hindi pangsarili. So, unahin muna nilang maayos ang kanilang mga sigalot at ang kanilang mga isyu sa Senado,” she added.

(They should settle the issues in the Senate. This is for the people, not for themselves. So, they should first address their own issues in the Senate.)

Malacañang previously said the President is inclined to call a special session of Congress amid the sine die adjournment, should acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian request one.

On June 3, 12 senators present — including members of the minority bloc and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero — held a Senate session, declaring a quorum based on the Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco (1949).

The 12 senators voted to declare all elected Senate positions vacant, including the Senate presidency.

Gatchalian was then elected Senate President Pro Tempore and was recognized by those present as acting Senate President.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, however, has maintained that he remains the “legitimate, legal, moral Senate President.”

‘Senate of Malacañang’

Malacañang also dismissed as “fake news” the claim of Cayetano that there are two upper chambers—-the Senate and the “Senate of Malacañang.”

“Ito po ang sabi ng Pangulo: Fake news is flying around. Those into it should cease and desist. ‘Yan po ang malinaw na sinabi ng Pangulo,” Castro said.

(This is what the President said: Fake news is flying around. Those into it should cease and desist. That is what the President clearly said.)

Asked if the Palace has any plans to file a cyberlibel case against Cayetano, Castro said, “Wala pong elemento ng cyberlibel na nakikita patungkol dito.”

(There is no element of cyberlibel evident yet in this case.)

“It’s more on the unlawful utterances. Pero bahala na po ang investigating bodies na mag-imbestiga patungkol po rito,” she added.

(It's more on the unlawful utterances. But it's up to the investigating bodies to investigate it.) —MCG/ VAL, GMA News