Gatchalian urges colleagues to participate in special session

MANILA, Philippines — Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday prodded his fellow senators to participate in a special session called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. this week.

The special session was slated at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17.

“I invite my colleagues to attend and take part in the proceedings as we act on measures that matter to the Filipino people. The Senate must continue to work, fulfill its mandate, and respond to the needs of our nation,” Gatchalian said in a press release.

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Only 12 of 24 senators showed up in the last session day of the Senate on June 3, following the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in connection with the flood control scandal.

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Estrada has since been detained in a Quezon City jail, while Sen.  Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has been hiding since the International Criminal Court ordered his arrest in November. Both belong to the faction of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

A leadership  dispute ensued in the Senate when a motion to declare all seats vacant was adopted in the plenary and subsequently installed new officials, including  Gatchalian.

Cayetano and nine allies were absent when they were stripped of their key positions in the chamber. However,  Cayetano insists that without the 13 required votes, he remains the Senate president.

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Despite this conflict,  Gatchalian underscored the Senate’s constitutional mandate and duty to the Filipino people to act on urgent matters through the special session.

“The Senate knows its responsibility. We recognize our duty to the Filipino people, and we will fulfill it with the utmost competence and dedication,”  he said.

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Among the measures listed for consideration during the special session are Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act; Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act; Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act; Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act; and the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty law.

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“These are measures that directly affect the lives of every Filipino. Every bill listed here is intended to benefit the people, and we will ensure that they are enacted swiftly, efficiently, and properly,” Gatchalian said.

Aside from the said measures, he said the Senate will also use the special session to urgently act on relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction assistance for the thousands of Filipinos displaced by the June 8 magnitude 7.8 Sarangani earthquake.

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Gatchalian likewise noted that the convening of the Commission on Appointments was covered by the special session so the body could act on Cabinet, military, and foreign service appointments, which have been derailed by the Senate row. /das