Senator Joel Villanueva vowed Sunday to attend a special session to be called by the President to advance stalled bills stemming from the leadership row, further fueling speculation that he is poised to switch allegiance to the Gatchalian-led faction amid weeks of persistent gridlock.
Villanueva is currently allied with Senator Alan Cayetano and took part in the movement to boycott the session from 1 to 3 June, the last week of the legislative proceedings before Congress adjourned sine die until late July.
The boycott effectively paralyzed the Senate’s legislative work, including the passing of crucial bills on final reading, the confirmation of military generals, and the granting of Filipino citizenship to Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos ahead of international sports competitions.
In a video message shared on Sunday, Villanueva said he is duty-bound to attend the special session in the event that President Marcos Jr. calls for it, although he stopped short of confirming whether it also signals his defection from Cayetano’s bloc.
“This is not a time for partisanship. When our countrymen are in need, it is our duty to respond and serve,” he briefly stressed in Filipino.
Among the proposals he would push during this period is the supplemental budget for relief and rehabilitation efforts in 7.8 magnitude quake-hit communities in several parts of Mindanao.
Villanueva’s rumored political switch could finally resolve the weeks-long leadership deadlock between Cayetano and Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian by increasing the latter’s number from the current 12 to 13.
Recall that Cayetano and allies have remained headstrong in refusing to honor the 3 June surprise leadership change that effectively stripped them of power over the chamber, including committee chairmanships, by declaring all positions vacant and installing Gatchalian in place of Cayetano.
Cayetano’s faction has contested the Gatchalian group’s takeover as “unconstitutional” for lacking one vote from the 13-member majority threshold needed to declare a quorum, conduct business, and elect new officers.
Gatchalian’s bloc, however, has admitted that they still lack one vote to officially elect the former as the Senate leader, as the Constitution mandates 13 votes.
Several senators under Gatchalian’s faction, including Senator Ping Lacson, have been public about their ongoing efforts to convince some of their colleagues to break from Cayetano’s camp to finally resolve the impasse without bringing the case to the Supreme Court.
Recently, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines Domingo Cayosa remarked that only one senator breaking away from Cayetano’s camp would break the standoff without the need for SC’s intervention.
Without it, however, the impasse will persist, as the high court is unlikely to meddle in the affairs of a coequal branch of government.
Lacson on Sunday said he is also unaware of Villanueva’s standing and the motive behind his uncalled-for pronouncement regarding the special session.
Marcos Jr. has expressed an inclination to call a special session to address legislative gridlock and the ongoing leadership row in the Senate. However, Malacañang also stated that the Senate must first resolve its internal dispute before a special session is formally convened.
