MANILA, Philippines — Former Senate president Franklin Drilon said the competing claims between the "new" and "old" majority blocs on who controls the chamber should be resolved by the Supreme Court, if the leadership issue is challenged.
Drilon made the remark as newly-elected Senate President Pro Tempore Win Gatchalian and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano both claim the chamber's top post
Gatchalian's former minority bloc became the majority group after Sen. Chiz Escudero on Wednesday switched to the former's side, making him their 12th member.
They then declared all seats vacant, "ousting" Cayetano as Senate president. But Cayetano said Gatchalian's group committed an illegal power grab and insisted that he remained Senate chief.
“With Win Gatchalian being the duly elected Senate president pro tempore, he became acting Senate president when the position of Senate president was declared vacant,” Drilon said.
“Why acting president? Because the Constitution requires the majority of all members of the Senate to elect a Senate President. That means 13 votes," he said.
Drilon added, "But the act of declaring all positions vacant requires only 12 votes because there is nothing in the rules requiring 13 votes for that purpose."
“Let us proceed with the work of the Senate. Those who question the validity of what transpired can go to the Supreme Court. We continue working until the Supreme Court says otherwise,” Drilon said.
