Sen. Bam Aquino said the bloc of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian may “soon” reach 13 members, enough to formally install Gatchalian as the new Senate leader, amid an ongoing leadership dispute in the chamber.
The Gatchalian group and the faction of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano have remained locked in a power struggle since last week, creating confusion among Senate employees and the public, and prompting legal questions over Senate rules and procedure.
On June 3, after securing a quorum of 12 senators following the appearance of Sen. Francis Escudero on the floor, Gatchalian was installed as Senate President Pro Tempore and was considered acting presiding officer of the chamber.
However, the move was rejected by Cayetano’s camp, which maintained that under the Constitution and Senate rules, Cayetano remains Senate President until a successor secures at least 13 votes.
In an interview, Aquino, an ally of the Gatchalian bloc, said he is “predicting” that their group could soon gain another senator to reach the required majority of 13 votes needed to formally elect Gatchalian as Senate President. He did not identify the possible additional member.
The Constitution requires a majority vote of all 24 senators to elect the Senate President.
Aquino added that the 13th vote could come during a possible special session in June, which he said would allow the Senate to return to legislative work after delays partly caused by a two-day “boycott” from the Cayetano bloc.
