The Supreme Court’s dismissal of a petition questioning the legality of the June 3 Senate session validated the solid legal ground on which the Senate leadership was reorganized under Sherwin Gatchalian, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.
Lacson said the 12 senators who attended the June 3 session and reorganized the Senate by removing Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President and electing Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting presiding officer had made sure they had sufficient legal basis.
In Filipino: Lacson: SC Ruling Nagpatunay na Nasa ‘Solid Legal Ground’ ang Reorganisasyon ng Senado noong Hunyo 3
“We were certain then and it is now validated by the Supreme Court that we stood on solid legal ground when we reorganized the Senate by removing Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Presiding Officer having a clear majority of 12 in our bloc,” he said.
In its en banc resolution dated Aug. 26, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition by lawyers Valeriano Loon and Zigfred Diaz for “failure to show sufficiently that the respondents committed grave abuse of discretion in holding a session on June 3, 2026, which, on the contrary, appear to be in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence.”
Lacson was named as one of those named as respondents in the petition.
During the June 3 session, Sen. Francis Escudero joined the 11 members of the then-minority bloc to ensure a quorum. Before that day, the Senate could not hold sessions since the then-majority “boycotted” the proceedings and left the chamber without a quorum.
Lacson noted the quorum was declared based on a base number of 22 senators since Ronald dela Rosa and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada were outside the “coercive power” of the Senate, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling on Avelino v Cuenco (GR No. L-2821).
At the time, dela Rosa was in hiding as he faces arrest due to a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Estrada was arrested last June 1 by virtue of a warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan for plunder in connection with the flood control scandal.
The quorum enabled the senators present at the session to remove Cayetano as Senate President and elect Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting presiding officer.
But Lacson said the 12 senators at the June 3 session did not immediately elect Gatchalian as Senate President because under the Constitution, at least 13 members are needed to elect one.
“We didn’t elect him as SP because the Constitution was clear that we needed at least 13 members to elect but not to remove a sitting Senate President,” he said.
*****
Lacson: SC Ruling Nagpatunay na Nasa ‘Solid Legal Ground’ ang Reorganisasyon ng Senado noong Hunyo 3
Pinagtibay ng Korte Suprema ang “solid legal ground” ng sesyon ng Senado noong Hunyo 3 matapos nitong ibasura ang petisyong kumukuwestiyon sa legalidad ng naturang sesyon na nagresulta sa palitan ng liderato ng Senado sa ilalim ni Sherwin Gatchalian, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson.
Ani Lacson, tiniyak ng 12 senador na dumalo sa sesyon noong Hunyo 3 at nag-reorganisa sa Senado sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggal kay Alan Peter Cayetano bilang Senate President at pagkahalal kay Gatchalian bilang Senate President Pro Tempore at acting presiding officer na may sapat silang legal na batayan para gawin ito.
“We were certain then and it is now validated by the Supreme Court that we stood on solid legal ground when we reorganized the Senate by removing Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Presiding Officer having a clear majority of 12 in our bloc,” aniya.
Sa en banc resolution nito na may petsang Agosto 26, ibinasura ng Supreme Court ang petisyong inihain ng mga abogado na sina Valeriano Loon at Zigfred Diaz dahil sa “failure to show sufficiently that the respondents committed grave abuse of discretion in holding a session on June 3, 2026, which, on the contrary, appear to be in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence.”
Kabilang si Lacson sa mga respondent na pinangalanan sa petisyon.
Sa sesyon noong Hunyo 3, sumama si Sen. Francis Escudero sa 11 miyembro ng noo’y minority bloc, kaya naging 12 ang bilang ng mga senador na dumalo. Bago ang araw na iyon, hindi nakapagsagawa ng sesyon ang Senado dahil hindi dumalo ang noo’y majority sa mga proceedings, dahilan upang mawalan ng quorum ang kapulungan.
Ipinaalala ni Lacson na idineklara ang quorum batay sa base number na 22 senador, dahil sina Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa at Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada ay wala sa “coercive power” ng Senado, batay sa ruling ng Supreme Court sa *Avelino v. Cuenco* (G.R. No. L-2821).
Dahil dito, nagawang i-reorganisa ng mga senador na dumalo sa sesyon ang liderato ng Senado sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggal kay Cayetano bilang Senate President at pagkahalal kay Gatchalian bilang Senate President Pro Tempore at acting presiding officer.
Ngunit sinabi ni Lacson na hindi agad inihalal ng 12 senador si Gatchalian bilang Senate President dahil sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon, kinakailangan ang hindi bababa sa 13 miyembro upang maghalal ng Senate President.
“We didn’t elect him as SP because the Constitution was clear that we needed at least 13 members to elect but not to remove a sitting Senate President,” aniya.
*****
     |    |   |