The legislature’s lower chamber moved swiftly to acknowledge the Senate’s reshuffled leadership, with Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III extending his congratulations to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian after the Valenzuela lawmaker took on the role of acting Senate President.
In a June 3 statement, Dy framed his message around the value of a working upper chamber, tying his endorsement to broader concerns about governmental continuity. “At a time when our nation looks to its institutions for stability and leadership, a fully functioning Senate is essential to advancing legislation, exercising oversight, and upholding democratic governance,” he said.
The Speaker closed his remarks with a direct note of encouragement to the new presiding officer. “We wish Acting Senate President Gatchalian every success as he leads the chamber in addressing the challenges and opportunities before our country,” he added.
Gatchalian rose to the post the same day, after being elected Senate President Pro Tempore and replacing Senator Loren Legarda in that position. He stepped into the acting top role with the Senate presidency itself left unoccupied, since the Constitution requires 13 votes to formally seat a Senate President and that threshold was not met on the floor.
The session that produced the leadership change went forward only after a quorum of 12 senators was reached, made possible when Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero broke from the majority bloc to join the proceedings. He was the lone member of that bloc to show up, while the rest stayed away.
Presiding over the plenary, Gatchalian explained that the chamber had little choice but to convene given the prolonged stoppage. “After the Senate adjourned on May 26, 2026, session was scheduled to resume on Monday, June 1, 2026 and on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 but the former Senate President failed to appear in both instances,” he said. He invoked Article VI, Section 16(5) of the Constitution, which prohibits either chamber from suspending sessions for more than three days during a session without the other house’s agreement, warning that the Senate stood close to breaching that rule. To establish the legitimacy of the 12-member quorum, he pointed to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco, anchoring the figure on a majority of the 22 senators over whom the chamber could assert jurisdiction.
Dy’s congratulatory message came as Malacañang likewise signaled its acceptance of the transition, with Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro telling reporters the same afternoon that the developments in the Senate were consistent with law.
