Newly installed Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian acknowledged that one notable name was missing from the wave of congratulatory messages he received after taking over the chamber’s top post: Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.
Speaking on DZMM, Gatchalian said the bulk of the Senate had already reached out to him, with greetings arriving even from across the aisle. “Iyong iba nagte-text sa akin, nag-congratulate…marami na mga members ng minority na nag-text o nagpapadala ng congratulatory message (There were those who texted him, congratulated me…a lot from the minority texted and sent congratulatory messages),” he said.
Cayetano, however, was a different matter. When the interviewer asked directly whether the minority leader had sent word, Gatchalian was candid: “Particularly kay Sen. Alan wala pa (Particularly from Sen. Alan, there’s none).”
The Senate President framed the absence as no obstacle to working together. He said he holds no grudges toward the minority and counts many of its members among his friends and longtime colleagues, describing them as serious legislators who are focused on doing their jobs.
Asked whether he intended to make the first move toward Cayetano, Gatchalian signaled willingness to talk with anyone in the chamber. “Sabi ko nga, lahat naman ang aking pintuan, ang aking puso, laging bukas (As I’ve said, all my doors, my heart, are always open),” he said.
His central message throughout the interview was institutional unity. Gatchalian argued that the Senate functions best when it operates as one body, and said his prior working relationships with most of his peers give him a foothold for engaging every faction. Communicating with the minority, he insisted, poses no real difficulty for him given those existing ties.
