Freedom Day took on a decidedly political dimension yesterday, beyond the street clashes between rallyists and anti-riot police, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. publicly addressed Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian as Senate President for the first time, signaling his preference in the ongoing Senate leadership battle.

Gatchalian is locked in a power struggle with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano over the upper chamber’s top post — a murky legal standoff that remains unresolved, with both camps claiming near-equal numbers of senators amid a disputed quorum.

The pointed exchange was recalled before a large audience at yesterday’s 128th Independence Day rites at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

“I would also like to welcome Senate Pro Tempore and Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian,” Marcos said, prompting the audience to yell and applaud.

The separation of powers doctrine prohibits one branch from controlling or directing another, but not from recognizing its leadership.

When the President publicly confers legitimacy on one claimant during a nationally televised ceremony, with cheering crowds as a backdrop, it goes beyond neutral administrative recognition. It functions as a political endorsement, carrying the weight of the Palace.

During the wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument at the Luneta, President Marcos approached Gatchalian and offered a handshake.

It was unclear if the organizing committee had invited Senator Cayetano.

Senators under the Cayetano faction took a swipe at the administration over what they implied was Malacañang’s continued meddling with the Senate’s internal affairs amid the ongoing leadership dispute.

Senator Rodante Marcoleta said the true meaning of independence does not constrain institutions from exposing wrongdoings in the government; instead, it enables them to hold powerful figures accountable, free from external pressure or intimidation. 

“We are not completely free because our ability to expose the truth behind anomalies and the widespread plunder of public funds has been restrained,” the lawmaker from Tarlac stressed. 

Senator Loren Legarda made a similar jab, saying the chamber must remain unfazed, promote public interest, and serve as a platform “where issues are taken without fear, facts are pursued without hesitation.” 

In his speech, the President urged Filipinos not to tire of loving, choosing, and fighting for the country, considering the hardships and political noise facing the nation, just as national heroes did in the past.

Marcos maintained that it is not only fitting to reminisce about and honor the hardships of our national heroes, but that their lessons must serve as a foundation for the country’s present and future.

“More than a century after achieving our independence, what have we done with the freedom they fought for? It is not enough to simply look back on the past. The lessons of history must serve as the foundation of our present and guide our future,” he said.

Marcos noted that history taught us to be united to claim our independence from invaders.

“Our history has taught us that independence can only be achieved through unity; that true leaders are those who sacrifice their own interests for the good of the nation; and that freedom must be safeguarded. Let us use these lessons to advance our country and preserve our independence,” he said.

Sara’s reflection

Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte added fuel to the debate, saying that she remained the constitutional successor to the President while rejecting suggestions of an extra-constitutional takeover.

She rejected calls for a movement to oust President Marcos, insisting that any change in leadership must occur within the bounds of the Constitution, despite her increasingly bitter feud with the administration.

“I do not want to take Bongbong Marcos’s position,” Duterte said.

She said she could not support any effort to remove Marcos through extra-constitutional means because of the oath she took as Vice President.

“I am the constitutional successor, I am the next in line based on the Constitution,” Duterte said.