THE Senate minority bloc’s quest to install Sen. Win Gatchalian as the new Senate president is “non-negotiable,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Sunday.
“Insofar as we are concerned, [installing] Senator Win as SP (Senate president) is non-negotiable,” Lacson said in Filipino and English during a radio interview.
“With regard to who might join [us], I don’t want to go there. We will not accept any SP other than Senator Win,” he said.
Lacson refused to say whether Gatchalian will openly challenge Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate head when sessions resume on Monday.
Reports were circulating that Sen. Chiz Escudero, who helped Cayetano oust Sen. Vicente Sotto III as Senate president on May 11, was trying to form a separate group to wrest the chamber’s leadership.
Asked if there are negotiations for a counter-coup against Cayetano, Lacson replied, “If there’s any, I’m not at liberty to disclose because that’s a critical issue.”
“That’s a sensitive matter. I won’t confirm nor deny [such move]. The quest to remove the SP is a continuing crime,” Lacson said.
Cayetano is in a precarious position as the majority bloc to which he belongs is now down to 12 members, with Sen. Ronald dela Rosa having gone into hiding to elude arrest.
In contrast, the 11-member minority bloc is still strong and has promised “not to abandon each other,” Lacson said.
“I was asked why I have been silent regarding Senate leadership. Wrong! I was the one who brought out the idea of making Sherwin (Gatchalian) as SP (Senate President),” Sotto said in a text message on Sunday.
Lacson dismissed speculations that the minority’s move is linked to efforts to amend the Constitution or influence the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Our primary or main concern is to restore the Senate’s integrity. We never discussed anything else — not Con-ass, not the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte,” he said.
“We in the minority bloc agreed that our reason for seeking a leadership change is to give the Senate a fresh start. That is why we rally behind Senator Sherwin Gatchalian; he is a fresh face and has no ‘enemies’ among senators,” he said.
Aside from Lacson, Sotto and Gatchalian, the other members of the minority group are Senators Bam Aquino, JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros, Lito Lapid, Kiko Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, and Migz Zubiri.
Lacson said he saw some “redeeming value” for Cayetano when he convened the impeachment court that will try Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I saw that he can defy any pressure not to convene [the Senate as impeachment court],” Lacson said.
“I mentioned before that the immediate convening of the Senate as impeachment court by SP (Cayetano) was a breath of fresh air,” Lacson said.
Lacson also said the minority bloc will oppose the motion of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta to allow dela Rosa to vote “virtually” on any Senate bills to be approved on third and final reading or on any crucial Senate matters.
On Sunday, the spokesman for the House of Representatives’ prosecution panel for the trial of Duterte said it is up to the Senate to settle the leadership issue.
“For us, whatever the composition of the Senate will be, regarding the positions or leadership... we are not substantially considering this because, for us, what we are standing by are the pieces of evidence that we can present,” Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said in an interview with DZBB.
“So we leave it to the Senate because this is internal to them and whatever their decision will be, we respect it on our part,” Adiong said.
“Should there be changes in the Senate leadership, there will be no changes in the evidence that the House prosecution panel can present,” Adiong said.
The prosecution team is made up of Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, 1-Rider Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora, Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor, Akbayan Rep. Jose Manuel Diokno, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan, and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua.
On May 11, the House, voting 257-25 with nine abstentions, impeached Duterte over alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth allegedly amassed, alleged bribery, and the kill remark against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The House sent the four articles of impeachment to the Senate three days later.
Article 1 accuses Duterte of graft and corruption, and betraying public trust “through the systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to” P500 million “released to the Office of the Vice President and” P112.5 million “released to the Department of Education.”
Duterte served as education secretary before she resigned from the post in 2024.
Article 2 accuses the vice president of lying about her and her husband’s assets, liabilities, and net worth and failing to divest and, instead, willfully continuing all her business interests during her tenure as vice president.
Article 3 alleged that she gave monetary gifts or payments to “certain people to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws.”
Article 4 accuses Duterte of hiring an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and “actively inciting sedition against the republic.”
