Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano Releases Statement on Senate Presidency
ALAN PETER CAYETANO – The minority Senator conceded as the Senate president as he announced that Senator Joel Villanueva will join the majority bloc.
Last June 3, Sen. Chiz Escudero who was then part of the majority bloc appeared at the Senate plenary session. The quorum of 12 senators declared all the positions in the chamber vacant.
After declaring all Senate positions vacant, the senators who was present at the session voted Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the Senate President Pro Tempore. Gatchalian served as the acting Senate president during the session.
Sen. Chiz Escudero stressed that he is standing for the Senate in his decision to attend the plenary session. His attendance came on the third day of the absence of the bloc that he previously belongs with.
Immediately after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected as Senate President Pro Tempore, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano stressed that he is allegedly still the “legitimate, legal, and moral” Senate president of the Republic of the Philippines. He tagged the quorum of 12 as allegedly against the Constitution and the rules of the Senate in removing a Senate president and electing the officials.
Despite the opposition of the Cayetano bloc on the supposed change of leadership in the Senate, Malacañang and the House of Representatives recognized the lead of acting Senate Pres. Sherwin Gatchalian. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano offered for the chamber to be under dual signatory as they have yet to decide on the issue but Gatchalian refused the offer.
Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called a special session with the senators today to discuss the pending measures that need to be prioritized. Sen. Joel Villanueva who is speculated to be joining the ‘new majority bloc’ is one of the senators who affirmed their attendance to the special session.
The names of senators Joel Villanueva and Mark Villar were also not included in the petition filed by the Cayetano bloc before the Supreme Court over the Senate leadership. It undeniably triggered the speculations.
Recently, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano conceded as the Senate president. Through a lengthy post on social media, he expressed his gratitude to all those who stood with him during his short stint as the Senate chief. He claimed that Sen. Joel Villanueva will be joining the majority bloc which will give them the numbers to elect a new Senate president.
“I will be honest about what I feel. I am not saddened by the loss of a position; a position that was never mine to keep. What saddens me is harder to say. It is to watch our country slip toward darkness — to see our people suffer, and to hear some begin to say there is no hope. Walang pag-asa. Paulit-ulit na lang ang korapsyon. Pare-pareho lang sila,” Cayetano wrote.
According to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, it is his honor to serve as the Senate president and he promised to supposedly continue fighting for the truth. Here’s his full post:
Previously, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano also spoke about Sen. Chiz Escudero after the latter appeared for the Senate plenary session while their entire bloc was absent.