Majority senators welcome SC ruling on June 3 session

MANILA, Philippines — Majority senators welcomed the Supreme Court’s dismissal of a petition challenging the legality of the Senate session on June 3 that resulted in the ousterof then-Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

In an en banc resolution dated Aug. 26, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by lawyers Valeriano Loon and Zigfred Diaz, saying they failed to sufficiently establish that the respondents committed grave abuse of discretion in holding the session.

The Court resolution, a copy of which was shared on social media by Senator Francis Pangilinan, said the June 3 proceedings appeared to be “in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence.”

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Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who was among the respondents, said the 12 senators who attended the session had been confident that they had sufficient legal basis to reorganize the chamber.

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“We were certain then and it is now validated by the Supreme Court that we stood on solid legal ground when we reorganized the Senate by removing Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and elected Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Presiding Officer having a clear majority of 12 in our bloc,” Lacson said in a statement on Friday.

READ: Alan Peter Cayetano no longer SP Senate majority

Pangilinan, meanwhile, welcomed the ruling “with respect and humility,” saying it should allow senators to move past their political disagreements and return their attention to legislative work.

“We acknowledge the Supreme Court’s ruling on the June 3 Senate session with respect and humility. The Court found no grave abuse of discretion and recognized that the session was consistent with the facts, the law, and established jurisprudence,” Pangilinan said.

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“In the words of my Gen Z kids, ‘Move on na.’ Tuloy-tuloy na tayong magtrabaho,” he added.

(In the words of my Gen Z kids, ‘Let’s move on.’ Let’s continue working,)

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Gatchalian also welcomed the Court’s resolution, saying it was consistent with the position maintained by his camp from the beginning.

“The Court found no basis to question the holding of that session, and noted that it appears consistent with the facts and the law,” he said.

Gatchalian maintained the Senate had convened on June 3 “in accordance with the Constitution and established jurisprudence” to prevent the chamber from being left unable to function.

READ: Senate finally convenes amid alleged Cayetano-led group’s boycott

During the June 3 session, Sen. Francis Escudero joined 11 senators of the then-minority bloc to establish a quorum. 

The quorum was based on a total of 22 senators, citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco, as senators Ronald dela Rosa and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada were then outside the Senate’s “coercive power.”

The group removed Cayetano as Senate president and elected Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore and acting presiding officer.

The group did not elect Gatchalian as Senate president during the June 3 session because the Constitution required at least 13 senators for such an election.

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It was only after Sen. Joel Villanueva joined them during a special session on June 17 that Gatchalian was formally elected Senate president./dp