The Senate’s 11-member minority bloc is formally endorsing Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the next Senate president amid ongoing leadership instability and fresh coup rumors in the upper chamber.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, speaking for the newly formed “Solid Bloc 11” or SB-11, announced the endorsement on Saturday.
“We, of the SB-11 or Solid Bloc 11, all want Senator Sherwin ‘Win’ Gatchalian to become Senate president,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
He described Gatchalian as “competent, steady, and fair,” emphasizing that his fiscal responsibility and experience as former finance committee chairperson prove his capability to lead the chamber.
Pangilinan also highlighted Gatchalian’s potential to bridge factional divides.
“In realpolitik, he can unite a broader, reform-oriented Senate that is more balanced, more accountable, and acceptable even to some members of the current majority,” Pangilinan noted.
He also pointed out that current Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano recently teased during a plenary session that he might even vote for Gatchalian “one day.”
For his part, Gatchalian said he is ready to assume the leadership role, citing his 10 years in the chamber as adequate preparation. Over his tenure, the senator has chaired several key committees, including basic education, energy, and economic affairs.
The push for new leadership comes less than two weeks after Cayetano ousted former Senate President Vicente Sotto III on 11 May with a razor-thin absolute majority of exactly 13 votes.
The Senate remains highly volatile as it grapples with the fallout from an armed confrontation and the subsequent escape of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who is reportedly evading an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Because dela Rosa’s whereabouts remain unknown, Cayetano’s functional majority has effectively been reduced to 12 members on the floor, making the chamber vulnerable to a possible counter-coup.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo, a member of the minority bloc, underscored the fragility of the current setup, saying efforts to change the leadership remain active.
“That is ongoing. It is continuous. Just look at the numbers — 12-11. You’d really be tempted,” Tulfo said. “It would only take one person to make a move, and the fight is over.”
The political realignment comes as the Senate prepares to convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which is scheduled to begin on 6 July.