(UPDATE) SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected Senate president on Wednesday after mu stering 13 votes to win the position, ending a drama-filled and chaotic struggle for leadership of the chamber.
Gatchalian clinched the chamber’s presidency on Wednesday during the special session of Congress after Sen. Joel Villanueva, who belonged to the group of ousted Senate chief Alan Peter Cayetano, attended the session and cast his vote for the new leader.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri nominated Gatchalian as Senate president, citing his dedication to work.
“He’s the one who always closes the Senate,” Zubiri said in Filipino. Gatchalian was elected through acclamation with no objections posed.
“He’s the leader that the Senate needs in this time of division and disarray, and he has done this before. I know he’ll be able to rise above the fray and lead us back to our principal function, which is to attend to the work of legislation,” Zubiri said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson lauded his colleagues for answering a higher calling — one that rises above friendships and affiliations — to fulfill their duty as legislators and uphold the integrity of the Senate.
“I think I will be remiss of my duty and responsibility as a senator, colleague and friend, if I didn’t thank and commend our two distinguished colleagues, Sen. [Francis] Chiz Escudero and Sen. Joel Villanueva, for responding to their higher calling for this chamber, our beloved institution known as the Philippine Senate,” Lacson said before nominating Sen. Vicente Sotto III as Senate president pro tempore.
Escudero and Villanueva were the newest additions to the majority bloc.
Following his election, Gatchalian took his oath of office before former Senate presidents Sotto, Zubiri and Escudero. He was accompanied by his mother during the oath-taking ceremony.
Legislative priorities
Gatchalian pledged to give priority to legislative measures addressing the country’s most urgent economic and social challenges, including rising fuel and commodity prices, disaster recovery efforts in Mindanao and preparations for the looming threat of Super El Niño.
In his acceptance speech, Gatchalian called on senators from both the majority and minority blocs to set aside political differences and work collectively in advancing measures that directly benefit the Filipino people.
“We hear you. Amid the high prices of oil and commodities, the impact of the earthquake in Mindanao, the threat of Super El Niño and other pressing issues, the public expects one thing: concern, action and results,” he said.
Gatchalian underscored the Senate’s responsibility to craft responsive legislation that promotes economic stability, strengthens disaster preparedness and supports vulnerable sectors affected by calamities and climate-related challenges.
Accepting the Senate presidency, Gatchalian described the position not as a symbol of personal authority but as a solemn responsibility to uphold the integrity of the institution and serve the Filipino people.
“The opportunity to serve as Senate president is not an ordinary honor. It is a daily call to be a role model in service,” he said. “Above all, this duty is a responsibility — to the Senate, to our Constitution and to the Filipino people.” The senator also vowed to foster an inclusive and solution-oriented legislative environment where differing views are respected, and consensus is built around policies that advance national development.
“We want a Senate for the people. A Senate that is open to dialogue. A Senate that is focused on solutions,” he said.
Gatchalian had been elected Senate president pro tempore and acting president during a session on June 3, after Escudero joined the 11 members of the then-minority to form a quorum.
Sen. Loren Legarda, a member of the minority, addressed Gatchalian as Senate president for the first time when she attended the afternoon special session.
“On behalf of the minority, may I manifest for the record, that Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano shall serve as the minority floor leader,” she said.
“This is without prejudice to the final resolution of the case currently pending before the Supreme Court,” she added.
Legarda was referring to the petition the Cayetano bloc filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday questioning the June 3 Senate reorganization that removed Cayetano as Senate president.
The minority bloc did not attend the morning special session of the Senate called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to attend to pressing legislative matters of national importance.
Legarda congratulated Gatchalian, who she described to be “a dedicated, disciplined, hardworking, brilliant colleague and a dear friend.” She also congratulated Sotto, who replaced her as Senate president pro tempore.
“We, in the minority, because I remain to be in the minority, will collaborate for the good of the Filipino people,” she said in a chance interview after she attended the Commission on Appointments confirmation of five senior military officials and 85 foreign service officers.
With just over a month as Senate chief following his ouster on Wednesday, Cayetano is now the second “shortest serving” Senate president in Philippine history.
The late senator Camilo Osias served twice as Senate president for 13 days each or 26 days due to party changes.
Cayetano was Senate president from May 11 to June 17 — or for one month and six days until his ouster during the Senate special session.
Committee chairmen
Along with Sotto’s election as president pro tempore, the Senate approved a major reorganization of its leadership structure and committee assignments.
Zubiri was sworn in as majority leader, while Villanueva was designated deputy majority leader.
Among the significant changes approved by the chamber was the reconstitution of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, with Sen. Erwin Tulfo designated as chairman and Sen. Francis Pangilinan as vice chairman.
The Senate declared that all senators would serve as members of the oversight committee except Escudero, although no explanation was provided for his exclusion.
The Blue Ribbon Committee is responsible for conducting investigations in aid of legislation, particularly on matters involving alleged corruption, misuse of public funds and government accountability.
The leadership and committee reorganization effectively settles weeks of uncertainty over the Senate’s internal structure and paves the way for the chamber to resume legislative and oversight functions under its new leadership.
Tulfo also secured the chairmanships of the Committees on Social Justice and Energy, underscoring his prominent role in the new Senate lineup.
Pangilinan, meanwhile, was appointed chairman of the Committees on Constitutional Amendments, Agriculture and Justice. As Justice Committee chairman, he will also serve as the Senate’s representative to the Judicial and Bar Council, the constitutional body that screens nominees to the judiciary.
Sen. Bam Aquino was designated chairman of the Committees on Trade and Commerce, Basic Education, and Science and Technology. Aquino’s committee assignments place him at the forefront of discussions on economic development, education reform and innovation.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros will lead the Committee on Health and Demography and the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, two panels expected to play key roles in advancing social welfare and public health legislation.
Zubiri was named chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Rules, the latter responsible for managing the chamber’s legislative agenda and internal procedures.
Sotto will head the Committees on National Defense and Security, and Ethics and Privileges, positioning him to oversee matters involving national security and Senate conduct.
Sen. Lito Lapid was assigned as chairman of the Committee on Games and Amusement, while Sen. Raffy Tulfo will lead the Committees on Public Services and Migrant Workers.
Villanueva was designated chairman of the Committees on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education and Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development.
One of the most critical assignments went to Sen. JV Ejercito, who was named chairman of the powerful Committee on Finance, which scrutinizes the national budget and government spending. Ejercito will also head the Committee on Local Government and serve as vice chairman of several major committees, reflecting his expanded role in the majority bloc.
Lacson was appointed chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, which handles taxation and revenue measures. He will also serve as vice chairman of several key committees, including Justice, Defense and Local Government.
The Senate also named its representatives to constitutional bodies and oversight panels. The chamber’s seven members to the Commission on Appointments are Lacson, Zubiri, Villanueva, Hontiveros, Sotto, Raffy Tulfo and Ejercito. The Senate Electoral Tribunal, which resolves election contests involving senators, will be composed of Senators Aquino, Pangilinan, Lapid and Escudero.
In the majority leadership, Ejercito was elected senior deputy majority leader, while Villanueva was named deputy majority leader.
Final committee memberships and assignments remain subject to formal Senate ratification and publication in official records, and additional committee assignments may be announced.
Congratulations
The House of Representatives congratulated Gatchalian on his election as Senate president.
“This development comes at an important time as both houses of Congress continue to carry out their constitutional responsibilities and act on issues that have a direct impact on the lives of Filipinos,” Speaker Faustino Dy III said in a statement.
“The House remains committed to working with the Senate in advancing priority legislation, strengthening the economy and delivering meaningful reforms that benefit our people,” he said.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos welcomed Gatchalian’s election as Senate president, saying he knew “how level-headed he can be.” Malacañang also congratulated Gatchalian.
In a statement, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said that with the leadership issue now settled, the Palace hopes that the good cooperation between the executive and the legislature will continue to advance bills that will benefit the public.
Among the priority legislation the president wants enacted are the Anti-Political Dynasty Law, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act, Presidential Merit Scholarship Program, and the Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged and Conflict-Affected Areas Schools Act.
WITH REINA TOLENTINO AND KRISTINA MARALIT
