PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday acknowledged the leadership of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian during the celebration of the 128th Independence Day at Rizal Park in Manila.
The president walked up to Gatchalian and shook his hand following the wreath-laying ceremony.
At the opening of his speech, Marcos also addressed Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore as he acknowledged the presence of the government in attendance.
Friday marked the first time that the president and Gatchalian were seen together in a public event since the recent leadership dispute in the Senate.
On June 3, Gatchalian’s group mustered a quorum of 12 to install him as Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president, ousting Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who had wrested the position from Sen. Vicente Sotto III just days before.
Cayetano has rejected the leadership change, describing it as an “illegal coup d’etat,” and refusing to recognize the authority of the new majority bloc.
His group, which now makes up the minority in the chamber, refused to attend plenary sessions last week.
Malacañang had refused to comment on the leadership row until last Tuesday, when Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told a press briefing: “It is clear that the leadership we support and recognize is the leadership of Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.”
Supporters of Gatchalian argue that the June 3 Senate session validly declared all leadership positions vacant, effectively removing Cayetano from the Senate presidency.
However, they acknowledge that Gatchalian needs to secure the 13 votes required for him to assume the Senate presidency.
Cayetano maintains that he remains the legitimate Senate president, arguing that the June 3 session was invalid.
His position is shared by allies, including Senators Loren Legarda and Rodante Marcoleta, who both contended that the Gatchalian bloc only commands the support of 12 senators — one short of the majority needed to elect a Senate president under Senate rules.
Legarda has said that the June 3 session lacked the required number of senators to validly conduct leadership elections.
While Marcoleta has not issued a statement outlining his position, he is part of the bloc disputing the legitimacy of the reorganization and supporting calls for adherence to Senate rules and established voting requirements.
Cayetano has proposed a power-sharing arrangement with Gatchalian to prevent further disruptions in the operations of the Senate. Gatchalian has rejected the proposal.
Political observers note that the controversy has created an unusual situation in the Senate, where questions of procedure, internal rules and political legitimacy have become intertwined.
