After a two-week leadership deadlock, Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian got his 13th vote and was finally installed to the chamber’s top post on Wednesday after Senator Joel Villanueva switched camps from the rival faction of Senator Alan Cayetano.

Villanueva’s jumping ship enabled the Gatchalian bloc to muster the constitutionally mandated 13-vote majority threshold to officially take over the Senate from Cayetano and his allies.

Cayetano’s faction initially failed to show up at the special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., although Cayetano had already accepted defeat almost two hours earlier.

Some of them, namely, Senators Loren Legarda, Rodante Marcoleta and Imee Marcos attended the Commission on Appointments (CA) special session in the afternoon to tackle pending Cabinet, military and foreign service appointments.

Cayetano’s concession of the Senate presidency ended weeks of a tense standoff that paralyzed the Senate’s legislative work, including the passage of key 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.

The takeover by the Gatchalian bloc came the day after Cayetano and his allies brought the leadership dispute to the Supreme Court, asking the tribunal to void their ouster on 3 June. Despite the latest development, they did not drop their petition.

Villanueva’s defection saw Cayetano’s bloc drop from 11 to 10 members. The bloc originally had 13 members until Senator Jinggoy Estrada was arrested on plunder charges and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa went back into hiding to evade an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.

The rest of the bloc — Senators Legarda, Marcoleta, Marcos, Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Robin Padilla, Camille Villar and Mark Villar — remained with Cayetano.

The deadlock was triggered by the three-day boycott staged by Cayetano and his allies in protest of Estrada’s arrest on 1 June, which they decried was a “selective prosecution” by the administration.

The boycott later prompted Senator Chiz Escudero, then allied with Cayetano, to switch sides, saying the paralysis of the legislative work was “unacceptable” as it effectively stopped the institution from performing its constitutional duties.

No grudge — Cayetano

Villanueva cited the same reason for his defection from the Cayetano bloc. Both Escudero and Villanueva, however, insisted they were not taking sides — they just wanted to work.

Cayetano said he held no grudge against Escudero and Villanueva — both of whom were implicated in the flood control controversy.

Cayetano did not explicitly name Villanueva, but his statement was issued before the convening of the special session to elect Gatchalian.

“To our brother who, in the end, felt he had no choice but to make peace with the new reality: I hold no bitterness toward you. I have seen the pressures that were brought to bear, and I understand them,” Cayetano said.

4th leadership change

Gatchalian’s election marks the fourth Senate leadership change in the 20th Congress in less than a year. Before Cayetano and Gatchalian, Senators Escudero and Tito Sotto also took the helm of the upper chamber.

Despite his ouster, Cayetano averred that he was “not saddened by the loss of a position” and would rather have held the chamber’s post briefly “for something true.”

“This was never about the Senate presidency. From the very beginning, it was about the truth — the truth about the flood control funds, the billions meant to shield our towns and our families from the waters, the protection that was paid for and that never came. That is the fight that began all of this — one side wanted to bring it out, the other was desperate to keep it covered. And it is a fight that we intend to continue, no title or position required,” he said.

Cayetano had repeatedly attributed the leadership row to Malacañang, accusing the executive branch of turning the Senate into a rubber stamp to shield its allies in Congress amid the allegations of involvement in the flood control corruption.

Queries on VP Duterte linger

Meanwhile, legal questions surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate continue to cast uncertainty over the proceedings, legal analyst Barry Gutierrez said Wednesday.

Speaking on DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk program, Gutierrez said the Senate’s leadership transition is likely to render moot the Supreme Court petition filed by Cayetano’s bloc seeking to nullify the 3 June session and challenging the validity of a 12-member quorum.

“The election of Senator Gatchalian as not just acting but as the full-fledged Senate President is going to be the development that more than likely the Supreme Court will use to avoid directly ruling on the issue that was brought before it,” Gutierrez said.

He said the SC has historically exercised restraint in disputes involving the internal affairs of Congress under the political question doctrine.

Gutierrez cited the 1949 Avelino v. Cuenco case, which has been at the center of recent debates over Senate quorum rules.

Congress off limits

He noted that while four justices in that case discussed how a quorum should be computed, the High Court’s majority ultimately declined to intervene in the Senate leadership dispute.

“If we’re really going to be strict about it, we can consider it as obiter dictum, meaning it’s not germane to deciding the main issue brought before the court,” he said.

According to Gutierrez, the special session called by President Marcos provided the Senate with an opportunity to definitively settle the leadership issue through an open vote.

“I won’t say that this is the executive interfering to decide the outcome of a Senate vote, but this is the executive stepping in to provide a venue so that the senators could once and for all settle the matter in an open vote,” he said.

Gutierrez said the special session was not solely about advancing priority legislation, arguing that it also addressed the lingering leadership question that had paralyzed the Senate for weeks.

He noted that the Senate dispute delayed the Commission on Appointments’ work, including the confirmation of military promotions that require congressional concurrence.

Several senior military officers awaiting confirmation were affected by the impasse, he said, adding that some were nearing retirement and needed the promotions to qualify for higher retirement benefits.

“This is one of the key cogs of the system of checks and balances that we have,” Gutierrez said, referring to the constitutional requirement for the Commission on Appointments to approve certain executive appointments.

Quorum power

With Gatchalian securing the support of 13 senators, Gutierrez said the Senate can continue to function even if members of the Cayetano bloc choose to boycott future sessions.

“So long as you have a quorum to do business, you can exercise the powers of the Senate,” he said.

He added that the Senate rules provide no automatic penalties for lawmakers who repeatedly skip sessions.

However, Gutierrez said the Senate now faces a far more consequential challenge as it prepares to convene as an impeachment court for Vice President Duterte on 6 July.

“I think the Senate trial is going to be fraught with divisiveness,” he said, pointing to the deep political polarization of Filipinos.

Palace greets Gatchalian

Malacañang on Wednesday congratulated Gatchalian following his election as Senate President.

“The Palace extends its congratulations to the newly elected Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian. We would like to thank the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Bodjie Dy and the Senate majority who are ready to fulfill their duties,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Viber message.

By a viva voce vote, 13 senators installed Gatchalian as the 34th Senate President.

Castro also urged the Senate to act on the priority measures identified by President Marcos.

“We know the desire of President Marcos for fast and efficient service to the people. The priority legislative bills must be enacted to further strengthen and expand the government’s assistance to our countrymen,” she said.

Let’s get to work — Win

With his assumption as Senate President, Gatchalian has committed to prioritizing legislative action on pressing economic concerns, including rising fuel and commodity prices, the aftermath of the Mindanao earthquake, and the threat of a Super El Niño.

Gatchalian called on all the senators to set aside their political differences and work together in addressing the challenges facing the country.

He underscored the Senate’s responsibility to deliver concrete results, affirming that the chamber is attuned to the public’s call for responsive governance.