MANILA, Philippines — The Senate could form a decisive majority tomorrow, which will install Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president, as at least three senators are being courted to jump ship from Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s faction, Blue Ribbon committee chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo revealed yesterday.
Tulfo said at least one male senator and a female senator may throw their support behind Gatchalian’s bid for the Senate presidency amid backchannel talks for the leadership.
While Tulfo did not name the two senators, he said Sen. Joel Villanueva, who publicly declared over the weekend that he would be attending the special session, was also being convinced to shift allegiances.
“Hopefully the prayer of everyone, not just us, is for this to end so we can go back to normal, especially since Sen. Cayetano said he will step down if we have 13 (senators),” Tulfo told radio dzRH.
Currently, senators backing Gatchalian include Tulfo, his brother Raffy, Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis Escudero, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Lito Lapid, JV Ejercito and Bam Aquino.
While Tulfo and Zubiri refused to confirm that they already have the numbers to elect a Senate president, Malacañang’s move to convene a special session compels lawmakers to return to the plenary, forcing the opposing factions to confront the legislative standstill and test their actual numbers on the floor.
Regarding Villanueva’s pivotal attendance, Tulfo noted:
“We really have 13 senators tomorrow, because from what I know, one of the attendees just really want to have a session. So he will attend but no commitment yet that he will join us.”
Pangilinan echoed Tulfo’s stand, admitting that they have “more than enough to convene the special session whether (Cayetano’s) group attends or not.”
Gatchalian is only Senate president in an acting capacity as he was elected Senate President Pro Tempore last June 3.
While the session that saw his ascension hinged on jurisprudence to establish a 12-man quorum instead of 13, electing a Senate president requires 13 or more votes. This was one of the arguments being used by Cayetano to insist he was still Senate president.
Cayetano and his faction of 10 senators skipped the last three session days, which he admitted was to keep control of the permanent committees of the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Senate has deployed a new under vehicle surveillance system that will thoroughly screen all cars entering the legislative complex to deter the entry of firearms and explosives.
The enhanced vehicle checks are part of the chamber’s ongoing heightened security protocols, as regular on-site operations and employee ingress have resumed.
The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms continues to maintain a strict defensive posture – which includes a temporary ban on outside visitors – following recent intelligence reports of a thwarted destabilization plot aimed at the institution.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified the individuals allegedly behind the defacement of the websites of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
During a press briefing at the NBI headquarters yesterday, Director Melvin Matibag said authorities have already pinpointed the suspects and are preparing appropriate action against them. — Mark Ernest Villeza