Special session may proceed sans minority bloc, says Gatchalian

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian —INQUIRER PHOTO/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The special session of Congress that convenes today to tackle urgent legislation and pending appointments may proceed even if senators aligned with the new minority bloc led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano choose not to attend, acting Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said the Senate has sufficient numbers to constitute a quorum, citing the Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco, which the chamber invoked during the Senate leadership change on June 3.

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“Yes, because of the Avelino case, we have a quorum,” Gatchalian told reporters.

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The ruling has been cited by the Senate majority in arguing that quorum should be determined based on senators who are available and subject to the chamber’s jurisdiction, rather than the total number of Senate seats.

Gatchalian also noted that Senate records show precedents recognizing a 12-member quorum for the conduct of official business.

Cayetano’s bloc, however, has maintained that the leadership reorganization carried out with only 12 senators present was invalid.

Except for Sen. Joel Villanueva, senators allied with Cayetano have yet to publicly confirm their attendance at the special session.

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Attendance uncertain

Gatchalian said he had not spoken with members of the minority bloc but urged all senators to participate.

“I issued a statement encouraging all senators, regardless of whether they are part of the majority or minority. These are very important matters, especially concerning the Commission on Appointments (CA), as we have already exceeded the time allotted for these agenda,” he said.

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He stressed the need to pass pending measures and act on appointments before Congress convenes its second regular session in July.

“For me, it is important that we approve all these bills and not waste this special session because this is our opportunity to finish everything that has been pending,” he added.

Gatchalian declined to say whether the session could lead to the election of a new Senate President, noting that such a move would require the votes of at least 13 senators.

“Let’s see. What’s important for me are the bills to be passed and the Commission on Appointments, particularly the confirmation of military generals, as delays could affect the performance of their official duties,” he said.

The senator said he had coordinated with House leaders and expressed confidence that members of the House contingent in the Commission on Appointments would attend.

House commitment

“Even in the Commission on Appointments, we have members from the House. I spoke with the Speaker over the last few days, and they are committed to coming,” he said.

The special session is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and could run until late afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it remains ready to carry out its operations despite delays in the confirmation of several senior military officers.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said contingency measures are in place to ensure continuity in leadership and operations while appointments remain pending.

“For the side of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we will always do everything in our power to do business as usual,” Padilla said during a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday.

She said deputies and other arrangements have been designated to maintain operational effectiveness while the military awaits action from the Senate and the CA.

AFP waiting

AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad expressed hope that the special session would address the pending promotions and appointments.

President Marcos on Monday issued Proclamation No. 1318 calling Congress to a special session beginning June 17 to consider priority legislation and allow the CA to act on pending appointments in the Cabinet, military and foreign service.

The move comes amid an ongoing leadership dispute in the Senate that has delayed legislative and confirmation proceedings, including appointments involving AFP officers.

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Malacañang said the special session is necessary to address urgent measures and ensure the continuity of government functions despite Congress being on recess.