No qualms from solons on possible special session to fix Senate mess

MANILA, Philippines — Several House of Representatives lawmakers have not raised any qualms about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. possibly declaring a special session, in order for the Senate to address its leadership squabble.

In an online interview on Friday with reporters covering the House, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez — a member of the committee on rules as a deputy minority leader — said that they have discussed this matter informally, and the talks point towards the House welcoming any declaration.

Last Thursday, Palace press officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said that Marcos will be inclined to call for a special session, if a formal request comes from acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and if there are valid grounds to do so.

“No official talk, but I’ve heard unofficially and given the climate, I think they are anticipating the possibility of a special session being called and the House will, of course, comply with legal orders of the government if it comes to that,” Gutierrez told reporters.

“The House will find ways to comply, and the members are very much willing to comply,” he added.

READ: Marcos open to special session amid Senate deadlock, says Palace

Castro’s statements came after Gatchalian said that some senators on his side were considering holding a special session to tackle bills and appointments that had been delayed by the recent leadership impasse in the Senate.

Under Article VI, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution, the president may call for a special session at any time.

The Senate did not hold its session from Monday to Tuesday, after the former majority bloc under Senator Alan Peter Cayetano refused to enter the plenary, in retaliation for the 11-person minority’s walkout last May 26. 

This meant that several bills that may have been for third reading, or bills that needed a bicameral conference committee representation, were not addressed by the Senate.

House Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez pointed out on Wednesday that the Senate was on the verge of violating constitutional provisions as Article VI, Section 16 states that “neither House during the sessions of the Congress shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days.”

READ: Senate would have violated charter if no session held for third day — solons

This scenario was avoided after Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who is part of Cayetano’s bloc, showed up, giving the Senate a quorum to hold session.

Gatchalian justified that 12 senators is already a majority under the condition that only 22 out of 24 senators are available — since Senator Jinggoy Estrada was detained on plunder raps while Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is considered a fugitive.

READ: IBP agrees June 3 Senate quorum ‘lawful’ and ‘valid’

Won’t affect impeachment 

Gutierrez and his co-members in the prosecution panel for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial believe that even with a special session, the trial at the Senate will not be affected, since the focus will be on the bills that were not addressed by the two-day absence of the former Senate Majority bloc.

“As of now, we can’t really say how that would affect it. In fact like, as the questions earlier regarding the change in the composition of the Senate majority and minority, we’re not sure yet if there would be an effect on the timeline of the impeachment,” Gutierrez said.

“But as of now, it is a possibility. I think the impeachment will proceed unchanged depending on how it plays out,” he added.

Lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, in a separate interview on Friday, said that she is positive that the impeachment timeline will not be affected since Gatchalian himself has committed that there will be no changes in the schedule.

The Senate Impeachment Court convened under Cayetano’s watch last May 18. Days after, it was announced that the formal trial will start on July 6.

“(I am) positive that the impeachment timeline will not be affected by the special session, because I watched an interview of our acting SP (Senate President) Win Gatchalian, who pronounced that he will be following the timeline which was released already by the impeachment court,” Luistro said.

“And I think the impeachment trial will also need this special session, only if they decide to designate a presiding officer other than our acting SP,” she explained.

“So aside from the unfinished bills of the Senate, I think they need to consider also addressing the things that the Senate as a body should address, like other matters needed in preparation for the impeachment trial,” she added.

Manila Rep. Joel Chua, another prosecutor, said the special session will address matters different from to the impeachment, and therefore, would have no effect on Duterte’s trial.

“I think this special session has no relation to the impeachment timeline, because this will be about the delayed bills under the president’s legislative priority. So this is different from the impeachment timeline,” he said.

“The impeachment timeline, as of now, has not been changed, and I believe that it will stay the same,” he added. /apl