Senate Pres. Sherwin Gatchalian Earns 13 Votes
SHERWIN GATCHALIAN – With 13 votes, the Senator is elected as the Senate president of the Philippines amid the issues in the chamber.
The Senate is undeniably surrounded by countless issues including the controversial leadership feud between the majority and the minority blocs. Previously, two (2) senators insisted their ground on the Senate leadership.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected as Senate President Pro Tempore during the June 3 plenary session. The turn of event came after the then-minority senators called for the resignation of then-Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano after he and his bloc were absent for two (2) consecutive sessions.
On the third day of the absence of the majority bloc, Sen. Chiz Escudero appeared at the Senate plenary session which led to a quorum of 12 senators to resume the session. The 12 senators voted to declare all positions in the Senate vacant.
After voting to declare all Senate positions vacant, the senators elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the Senate President Pro Tempore. He presided the June 3 plenary session.
The said session earned different comments from the “new minority bloc”. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano then stressed that he is allegedly still the “legitimate, legal, and moral” Senate president of the country. He emphasized that 13 votes are supposedly needed to oust him and elect a new chief of the chamber.
Amid the feud over the Senate leadership, Malacañang which recognized the leadership of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed that Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for a special session with the senators today. Ahead of the special session, the leadership of the chamber has been finalized.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano conceded as the Senate president. He announced that Sen. Joel Villanueva is joining the new majority bloc which will give the Gatchalian bloc the numbers to elect a new Senate chief.
Based on a post of News5, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is now officially the Senate President of the Philippines with 13 votes. Sen. Joel Villanueva joined the majority bloc in the session this morning. All the minority bloc members were no show at the session.
Senate Pres. Gatchalian has taken his oath. Previously, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano spoke on the unexpected attendance of Sen. Chiz Escudero at the controversial June 3 Senate plenary session.