The Solid Bloc 12 on Wednesday asserted that Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is no longer Senate President after senators present during session voted to declare all leadership positions in the Senate vacant.
In a statement, the bloc said a quorum was established with 12 senators present, based on what it described as the recognized base number of 22 senators under the Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco.
“For clarity, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is no longer Senate President after the Senate, with 12 senators present and a quorum declared based on the recognized base number of 22 under Avelino v. Cuenco, voted to declare all positions vacant, including the presidency of the institution,” the group said.
The bloc emphasized that while Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has not yet been elected Senate President, the previous leadership structure has effectively ceased to exist following the vote.
“Hindi pa lamang naihahalal si Sen. Win Gatchalian bilang bagong Senate President dahil kailangan pa ng 13 boto sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon,” the statement said.
The group maintained that all Senate leadership posts are now vacant and that the chamber should proceed with its legislative duties.
“Bakante na ang lahat ng posisyon, tapos na ang dating liderato at dapat magpatuloy ang trabaho ng Senado para sa taumbayan,” it added.
The development marks the latest escalation in the ongoing leadership dispute in the Senate, which intensified following the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada and the subsequent standoff between the majority and minority blocs over Senate sessions and leadership control.
Under the Constitution, the election of a Senate President requires the vote of a majority of all members of the Senate, or at least 13 votes. As of Wednesday, the bloc acknowledged that Gatchalian had not yet secured the required number of votes to formally assume the position.
