Special session agenda: New laws or new Senate president?

MANILA, Philippines — Will the special session called by the President put an end to the Senate leadership issue?

At 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the Senate and the House of Representatives will convene separately to tackle important legislation such as the proposed Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation Act and the anti-political dynasty law.

The special session was likewise called to allow the Commission on Appointments to convene and act on pending appointments of certain government and military officers.

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READ: Marcos calls for Congress special session

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However, some say that the proceedings might also be used as a venue to settle once and for all the leadership dispute in the upper chamber between Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Alan Peter Cayetano.

Cayetano himself believes that the special session was called to remove him as Senate president.

READ: Cayetano on ouster talks: If they have 13, congratulations

“It was obvious to us that the target here was to take control of the blue ribbon committee and secure the Senate presidency,” he said on Tuesday.

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A power grab backed by long-absent Sen. Ronaldo “Bato” dela Rosa catapulted Cayetano to the Senate presidency on May 11, replacing Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

But Cayetano’s leadership was marred by a gunfight between the Senate security personnel and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation as Dela Rosa sought sanctuary from the chamber.

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Dela Rosa is wanted by the International Criminal Court over his role in the previous administration’s drug war as then police chief.

Then on June 1, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was arrested and detained in a Quezon City jail due to his alleged involvement in the flood control controversy.

READ: Estrada, 3 co-accused admitted to Quezon City jail general population

Both Dela Rosa and Estrada belong to Cayetano’s bloc.

Following Estrada’s arrest, Cayetano refused to convene the Senate session from June 1 to 3 until another ally, Sen. Francis Escudero, showed up and provided a quorum on the last day of the proceedings.

The convening of the session followed the election of new officials, including Gatchalian, who has since been serving as acting Senate president.

But Cayetano continues to assert that he is still the Senate president until he is replaced by a 13-vote majority.

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Since then, Gatchalian and Cayetano have been embroiled in a leadership dispute to the point that the Senate had to be placed under heightened security measures due to alleged threats against it. /cb