Congress will convene in a special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ostensibly to pass priority measures in response to the series of calamities, including the recent earthquake in Mindanao.
Under Proclamation 1318, Marcos directed Congress to meet today to urgently consider legislation on education, social protection and assistance for communities affected by the tremor.
Critics, however, contend the move has less to do with governance than with tilting the ongoing power struggle in the Senate in Marcos’ favor.
Under Section 15, Article 6 of the Constitution, special sessions are authorized only for urgent matters requiring immediate legislative action.
The cited reasons are plainly absent. The lack of any mention of the need to pass an emergency Mindanao rehabilitation budget punctures the humanitarian necessity.
Marcos also mentioned a supplemental budget for the Middle East oil shock in a previous interview, but this was noticeably absent from the proclamation.
Debunking all the excuses then points to the pivotal role of Senator Joel Villanueva.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla recently announced that a flood control-related plunder case against Senator Villanueva was nearing filing. “Hinog na rin (It is also ripe). It is also plunder,” Remulla said.
Complaints against Villanueva were inevitable. Dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara claimed the senator received 25-percent commissions from flood control projects and that he delivered the money to a resthouse in Bocaue, Bulacan, leaving it with a Villanueva employee named “Peng.”
A House inquiry witness put the total at P600 million in kickbacks. Villanueva, of course, has denied everything.
The cases apparently were dangled as leverage, dismissals offered in exchange for bloc membership following the template allegedly applied to Senator Chiz Escudero.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommended charges against Villanueva, Escudero and Senator Jinggoy Estrada over the flood control mess.
Thus far, only Estrada is detained. Escudero’s reported switch and the alleged dismissal of three of his five cases afterward are the model now being replicated.
Villanueva’s attendance at the special session could prove decisive, providing the crucial 13th vote needed to formally elect Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president.
“Should a special session be convened, we will fulfill our sacred duty under the Constitution. We will be there,” said Villanueva at a Jesus Is Lord Church worship service on 14 June.
Cayetano himself had advised Malacañang to wait for a 13th senator to join what he called the “11 plus 1” before calling a special session to settle the leadership issue.
Thirteen is the constitutional floor majority. It is the number the faction of Senator Win Gatchalian still lacks.
The leadership and control of the Senate is the endgame as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte approaches. The battle hinges on who will hold the Senate mace.
A key piece of evidence is the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) financial records, but these were obtained without a court order. The dispute centers on its admissibility.
A law expert indicated that Cayetano’s bloc cannot boycott the special session — doing so would be tantamount to handing the leadership to Gatchalian on a silver platter — because of the looming defection.
President Marcos has made clear his recognition of Gatchalian’s leadership of the chamber, describing it as “in line with the law and the rule of law.”
Transactional politics is now on full display, with expectations that Villanueva’s legal troubles will quietly fade after he delivers the crucial 13th vote.
The special session is where the political equivalent of a “Get Out of Jail Free” card gets signed.