Senate should settle leadership issues in special session, says law expert

A constitutional law expert on Tuesday said the senators should be able to address the leadership row during the special session on Wednesday, June 17.

Atty. Domingo Cayosa, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) national president, said that senators could not convene in a special session while fighting among themselves.

“Malamang mareresolba ‘yan kasi importante,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(The issue would probably be resolved because it’s important to do so.)

“Hindi naman pwedeng magkaroon ng sesyon sa Senado na nag-aaway pa kung sino ang kanilang lider,” he added.

(There can’t be a session in the Senate where the senators are still fighting over who is their leader.)

Cayosa also expressed belief that one or two senators might transfer to the new majority bloc to settle the dispute.

“Malamang diyan, mayroong isa, dalawa na sasama at kinakailangan lang sa sesyon para merong authority na pagbotohan ulit kung sino ba talaga ang Senate President,” he said.

(Probably what will happen there is that one or two senators will join the majority during the session so there will be an authority to vote again on who is really the Senate President.)

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and eight other senators on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to declare as null and void the June 3 session, which elected Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro-Tempore.

To recall, 12 senators held a Senate session on June 3, declaring a quorum based on the Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco (1949). They 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.

Cayetano, however, maintained that he remains the “legitimate, legal, moral Senate President.” —RF, GMA News