Cayetano says he's still the 'legitimate, legal, moral' Senate president

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MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano insists he remains the chamber’s legitimate leader despite his bloc losing its majority.

In a passionate address on Facebook Live on Wednesday, June 3, Cayetano asserted that the new majority's attempts to undermine the Senate leadership and control its premises are unconstitutional and threaten the nation's democratic foundations.

"I am still the legitimate, legal, moral Senate president of the Republic of the Philippines. There is still functioning committees," Cayetano said.

Cayetano pointed to the requirement for a majority of all senators to conduct business, elect a Senate president or remove an incumbent.

He challenged the new majority's claim of having a quorum, arguing that the Senate had formally adjourned and that its actions were therefore invalid.

He further argued that the legal precedents cited by the new majority were inapplicable because those cases involved continuous sessions, unlike the current situation.

"'Yung sinasabi po nilang kaso, 'yun po ay ibang-iba. Nag-adjourn po kami nung nag-walk out sila. So that means they have to call the roll at kailangan 13," Cayetano said.

(The case they are talking about is completely different. We adjourned when they walked out. So that means they have to call the roll and there needs to be 13.)

"'Yung binabanggit nilang kaso po, hinahamon ko lahat ng abogado. It is not applicable kasi doon po tuloy-tuloy 'yung sesyon," he added.

(Regarding the case they are mentioning, I am challenging all lawyers. It is not applicable because in that instance, the session was continuous.)

The case he referred to was Avelino v. Cuenco, a 1949 Supreme Court ruling cited by Sens. Sherwin Gatchalian and Erwin Tulfo as the legal basis for declaring a quorum.

However, there was no vote to replace Cayetano, who insists that he remains the legitimate Senate president.

During the plenary, Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III moved for the election of Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore, not as Senate president.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, spokesperson for the new majority, said Cayetano remains Senate president because there were not enough votes to elect a new chamber chief.

All these developments occurred amid the Cayetano-led bloc's absence from Senate plenary sessions since June 1.