Sherwin Gatchalian or Alan Peter Cayetano?
Cayetano was elected Senate president by 13 senators with Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa surfacing momentarily to vote, a move that almost had him arrested because of a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court or ICC for the case of crimes against humanity. His boss, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is facing the same case and is currently detained in The Hague in The Netherlands. Dela Rosa would have followed him but for a protection order by the Senate. Now he is back in hiding.
As a result, the number of senators who voted for Cayetano dwindled back to 12. With the arrest and incarceration of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada for plunder relative to the flood control projects scandal, the number got reduced further to 11 senators. That number became 10 when Sen. Francis Escudero opted out and joined a new majority of 12 that elected Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore. Malacañang and the House of Representatives promptly recognized the Gatchalian faction even as Cayetano has continued to insist that he is the legitimate Senate President.
Gatchalian’s election was based on the fact that Dela Rosa is in hiding and Estrada is in jail, reducing the 24-member senate to only 22. And 22 only needs 12 senators to be the majority. Cayetano’s election was based on the original 24 senators and that number needed 13 senators to become the majority.
The impasse could have been broken by the Supreme Court but the High Court could not interfere on its own without somebody “legitimately” filing a case on the matter of constitutionality. So we now have two Senate presidents, leaving our current political setup in limbo.
Frankly, I don’t like Cayetano so my leaning is for Gatchalian. But I don’t have the authority to decide on that. Apparently, Malacañang and the House of Representatives like Gatchalian, too, but like me the two institutions have no authority to settle the matter. So as Tagalogs would say: “abangan ang sunod na kabanata.”
But if you ask me, I would say that Cayetano is on the losing side, that is if the senators won’t budge on their support. More and more people and institutions are recognizing Gatchalian. And whoever the people recognize wins. No pun intended there. Remember the 1986 Edsa people power uprising and Edsa 2?
Cayetano has been advised by some sectors to “resign” but I doubt if he would do it considering his nature. He is not expected to let go. Besides, he is a veteran of leadership fights. He battled a congressman for speakership when he was at the House of Representatives. Meaning that he can be “kapalmuks” if he wants to.
Gatchalian should not also back down considering the support he is getting. If Cayetano does not back down, then why should Gatchalian raise the white flag? He should continue to function because he has the backing of many. Had the late Cory Aquino backed down when she was considered winner in the presidential race, there would not have been an Edsa 1 and the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. would still be our dictator.