Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday said he is prepared to relinquish his role as presiding officer of the impeachment court if Senator Sherwin Gatchalian secures the support of at least 13 senators in the coming days.
“As soon as they have 13, walang problema, sila na,” Cayetano said during a press conference.
“I have to assert because may pinaglalaban tayo. Pinaglalaban ko hindi yung si Alan Cayetano ang Senate President. Ang pinaglalaban natin, ang Senado hindi pwedeng rubber stamp ng Malacañang,” he added.
Cayetano maintained that the issue goes beyond personalities and centers on the independence of the Senate.
“Hindi pwedeng hindi independent yung Senate. Hindi pwedeng may hearing katulad kanina, yung bibig na bumubukas ay senador pero yung lumalabas na salita galing sa Malacañang,” he said.
The remarks came as the Senate remains divided between the bloc aligned with Cayetano and the group supporting acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
On Monday, House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil submitted a manifestation from the House prosecution panel to Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., who was elected by the Gatchalian bloc. Cayetano's camp, however, continues to recognize Jose Luis Montales as Senate secretary.
“That’s going to be a problem for at least a few days, maybe a few weeks, because we don’t expect the Supreme Court to rule right away,” Cayetano said.
The leadership dispute has also reached the Supreme Court.
Last week, senior high school teacher Barry Tayam filed a petition for certiorari seeking a review of the actions of Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano and Loren Legarda and asking the high court to determine whether they committed grave abuse of discretion.
The petition also seeks to have the 3 June session of 12 senators declared legally valid and binding.
Despite maintaining that the 3 June reorganization was “illegal in a substantial and unmistakable way,” Cayetano said the controversy should not be allowed to paralyze Senate operations or delay the impeachment proceedings.
“Pending resolution by the Supreme Court, it is imperative that the resulting legal and political dispute not be allowed to unnecessarily disrupt the operations of the Senate, impair the work of the Impeachment Court, or diminish the institution's ability to discharge its constitutional responsibilities,” he said.
Under the Senate calendar, the impeachment court is scheduled to issue its notice of pre-trial on 9 June.
In line with Cayetano's directive, Montales sent a letter to Bantug on Monday seeking a meeting to discuss interim arrangements that would allow Senate operations and impeachment proceedings to continue.
Among the proposals being considered is a dual-signatory or joint-certification mechanism covering vouchers, checks, disbursements, contracts, personnel actions and other official documents necessary for the continued operation of the Senate and the impeachment court.
Cayetano said any interim arrangement would serve only as a practical measure to ensure institutional continuity while the dispute remains unresolved.
He also stressed that Senate employees should not be placed in an “untenable position” because of the ongoing leadership conflict.
