Expect another twist Monday in the ongoing Senate soap opera, when the 11-member minority bloc will likely launch a bid to wrest the presidency from Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, speaking for the newly formed “Solid Bloc 11” or SB-11, announced the endorsement of Gatchalian on Saturday.
“We, of the SB-11 or Solid Bloc 11, all want Senator Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian to become Senate president,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
Cayetano is not expected to give up the post without a fight.
The looming leadership battle comes less than two weeks after Cayetano ousted Senator Vicente Sotto III on 13 May with a razor-thin absolute majority of 13 votes.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, a member of the minority, said fireworks could be expected in the debates on the 13 May gunfire incident at the Senate after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa showed up unexpectedly and attempted to evade arrest.
“Once there are 13 signatures, that’s automatic. A simple resolution signed by at least 13 senators is enough for the sitting Senate President to step down and hand over the position. The voting on the floor becomes more of a formality if it comes to that,” Lacson said.
“Normally, it doesn’t even reach an actual vote because once the resolution is presented to the Senate President, he steps down and hands over the Senate presidency to the incoming one,” he added.
Lacson said more recriminations are forthcoming. A shedding of tears by female senators happened “when Senators Risa Hontiveros and Erwin Tulfo delivered their privilege speeches, which followed the earlier Senate resolution filed by Sen. Bam Aquino right after the 13 May incident, the shooting incident. He filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into what happened that day,” Lacson said.
“The two privilege speeches followed that. If I remember correctly, at least eight senators from both the majority and minority have already signified their intention either to interpellate the speakers or to make manifestations,” he added.
“Not including Sen. Dela Rosa, the count is 12-11 (in favor of the current majority supporting Cayetano). The situation is this: a 12-11 split is extremely precarious. Even if the minority cannot reach 13, let me explain the situation. It takes only one senator to cross over, and the balance shifts to 12-11 in favor of the minority bloc,” explained Lacson.
If that happens, while the Senate President remains the presiding officer of the Senate, the balance on the floor shifts.
“That means the committee chairmanships will follow the new majority. The Senate President may remain, but control of the committees and most motions would follow the majority bloc,” he said.
“Dela Rosa is now considered outside the jurisdiction of the Senate. Under our rules, when a senator is abroad or absent, they are not counted for quorum purposes. So, for determining a simple majority, he isn’t counted,” Lacson said.
Will Dela Rosa surface?
As it stands, Gatchalian will have a strong shot at the Senate presidency unless Dela Rosa shows up.
Pangilinan also highlighted Gatchalian’s potential to bridge factional divide.
“In realpolitik, he can unite a broader, reform-oriented Senate that is more balanced, more accountable, and acceptable even to some members of the current majority,” Pangilinan noted.
He also pointed out that current Senate President Cayetano teased during a recent plenary session that he might even vote for Gatchalian “one day.”
For his part, Gatchalian said he is ready to assume the leadership role, citing his 10 years in the chamber as adequate preparation. Over his tenure, the senator has chaired several key committees, including basic education, energy, and economic affairs.
As Dela Rosa’s whereabouts remain unknown, Cayetano’s functional majority has effectively been reduced to 12 members on the floor, making the chamber vulnerable to a possible counter-coup.
In defense of drug war
Cayetano on Saturday invoked religion and defended the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign amid the escalating political tensions gripping the Senate, saying supporters viewed the war on drugs as a “human rights” and “pro-life” campaign.
In a Facebook Live broadcast, Cayetano directly addressed the emotional national debate surrounding alleged extrajudicial killings, the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, and the worsening divisions inside the Senate.
“So, when we talk about the right to life, everyone claims God is on their side,” Cayetano said.
He argued that supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte believed the anti-drug campaign was necessary because illegal drugs fueled rape, murder, theft, and the destruction of families and communities.
“The campaign against drugs was a human rights campaign. It was a pro-life campaign since drugs cost lives,” Cayetano said.
At the same time, he acknowledged the criticism from sectors claiming that innocent people were killed and that drug dependents should have been rehabilitated instead of being violently targeted.
Cayetano, however, stopped short of fully weighing in on the legality of the killings, saying he would not discuss the “merits or demerits” of both sides.
Divine purpose invoked
Instead, he framed the issue as a broader moral and spiritual conflict, repeatedly urging political leaders and the people to seek God’s guidance.
“We should all pray that we be on God’s side, not that God be on our side,” he said.
The Senate President also criticized what he described as a growing political hostility and polarization, urging Filipinos to “love your enemy” rather than deepen divisions.
His remarks came as the Senate remains embroiled in controversy following the 13 May shooting incident inside the chamber and the ongoing political fallout involving Senator Dela Rosa and the International Criminal Court investigation into Duterte’s drug war.
Cayetano also acknowledged the deteriorating public perception of the Senate, saying that the people were increasingly confused and frustrated by the political chaos.
Cayetano recalled a recent conversation with his nephew who asked: “What’s happening in the Senate?”
He admitted the country was facing “extraordinary problems,” including inflation, rising fuel prices, economic uncertainty, and worsening political divisions.
Despite the controversies, Cayetano urged his fellow senators to remain focused on public concerns such as healthcare, PhilHealth services, tuition fees, and the plight of workers.
“Let’s show the Filipino people that the Senate is the Senate,” he said.
