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Marc Jayson Cayabyab - The Philippine Star
June 11, 2026 | 12:00am
Security personnel screen a vehicle at the Senate yesterday.
Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — Acting Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian assured the over 2,000 employees of the chamber yesterday that their salaries and benefits would not be affected by the leadership dispute being waged by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Gatchalian held a Zoom press briefing with reporters as he heightened security at the Senate and ordered a work-from-home setup due to a security threat.
Gatchalian said he was busy with meetings this week to settle the payroll and the automatic debit arrangement of the Senate with Landbank, as well as approve the promotions of employees, so that the chamber’s operational expenses would not be stalled by the political bickering.
“A lot of them are nervous about their salaries because of what’s happening. Many of them rely on their weekly salaries. I assured them it won’t happen,” Gatchalian said.
He gave this assurance to douse rumors that the gridlock would block their payroll, as Cayetano called for a joint administrative duty sharing with Gatchalian by having both of their signatures on documents and contracts.
Cayetano is also insisting that he should still preside over the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Gatchalian thumbed down Cayetano’s proposal, saying: “There’s only one Senate President Pro Tempore and only one designated Acting Senate President.”
“Therefore, since that is me, I will do my job. I will make sure the operations of the Senate will not be hindered,” Gatchalian said.
He lauded Cayetano’s former Senate secretary Jose Luis Montales for turning over the documents to Gatchalian’s Senate Secretary Rey Bantug for the proper transition.
Montales earlier wrote to Bantug saying he would like to “explore possible interim administrative arrangements” so that the employees would not be affected by “conflicting directives” between Gatchalian and Cayetano.
Gatchalian said his approval and signature on Senate documents are proof that he is the recognized acting Senate President of the employees.
But Cayetano is free to issue whatever kind of “advisory” or “memo” he would like to as he pleases, Gatchalian added.
Since he was stripped of the post last Wednesday, Cayetano has issued memos and advisories saying there should be all hands on deck for their Thursday “unauthorized” flood control probe, which was not heeded by employees who opted to comply with Gatchalian’s work from home directive last week.
Cayetano again issued an advisory saying work this week should strictly be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. because of the upcoming June 12 holiday. Employees again complied with Gatchalian’s work from home order due to a security threat in the Senate.
‘Necessary’
Gatchalian also said the work from home setup in the Senate yesterday was necessary amid a serious security threat in the Senate linked to the 18 former “bodyguards” or bagmen of fugitive Zaldy Co.– Evelyn Macairan, Daphne Galvez
