Aside from Senator Joel Villanueva, one male and one female senator are likely to bolt from the Cayetano-led faction, although they remain hesitant to make a firm commitment for fear of a public backlash, Senator Erwin Tulfo revealed Monday.
Tulfo, allied with Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian, said their bloc had been in talks with some of their colleagues in the faction led by Senate President Alan Cayetano for some time in private dinners and visits.
The negotiations, however, have made little progress because the senators fear intense criticism for switching allegiances amid rumors of pressure from Malacañang.
“Two others are being persuaded [to switch sides] aside from Sen. Joel — one male and one female,” Tulfo said in Filipino in a radio interview. “The talks are ongoing but there’s no clear result yet.”
Tulfo did not name the two senators, hinting only that they were close to “senior members of the majority.”
The rumored shift could finally put an end to the weeks-long deadlock by raising the number of the Gatchalian bloc from 12 to 15, surpassing the constitutionally mandated threshold of 13 votes to elect a Senate president.
Cayetano’s now minority bloc went down from 13 to 10 members following the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada on plunder charges, the continued absence of Senator Bato dela Rosa who is in hiding from an International Criminal Court warrant, and Senator Chiz Escudero’s surprise breakaway to join the Gatchalian group on 3 June.
Cayetano, however, has steadfastly refused to acknowledge the takeover, calling it unconstitutional for failing to meet the 13-majority threshold.
He has maintained that he remains the rightful Senate president, unless Gatchalian secures at least one more vote to break the impasse.
Villanueva’s weekend announcement that he would attend the special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 17 June stirred speculation he was poised to break away from Cayetano’s camp.
“This is not the time for partisanship,” Villanueva said, citing the need to pass stalled crucial bills, including the supplemental funding for quake-hit Mindanao.
