MALACANANG has formally declared that it will only acknowledge the leadership of the Senate bloc headed by Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, ending any ambiguity regarding which group the executive branch will transact with.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro made this clear in an interview over Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday, stating that all official communications, requests, and coordination — including calls for special sessions — must come from or be coursed through Gatchalian’s leadership.
“The Palace, the Executive Department will recognize no one but the leadership of Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian,” she emphasized, adding that his leadership is similarly recognized by the House of Representatives and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Castro urged Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to stop asserting his claim over the Senate leadership, noting that his faction no longer enjoys recognition from key government institutions.
“He should stop insisting since no one acknowledges his leadership,” she said, referring to the weeks-long standoff that began after 12 senators elected Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and subsequently installed him as Acting Senate President on June 3. The move came after Cayetano’s group skipped plenary sessions earlier in the week, citing threats to the Senate’s independence, a claim the Palace now dismisses as irrelevant given the prevailing institutional recognition of Gatchalian’s bloc.
Addressing the broader political context, Castro emphasized that the country is in need of leaders who prioritize national interest over personal or partisan gains.
“Many are saying that he should not cling to his position. Right now, what the country needs is a true leader and a true public servant — someone who does not serve himself or the interests of allies,” she remarked. She also refuted allegations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. interfered in the Senate’s internal affairs, insisting that the Chief Executive deeply respects the separation of powers. “It is not true that the President is interfering in the Senate… if the President were dictating, there would be no conflict in the Senate,” she explained.
Cayetano, however, maintains that the shift in leadership was a coordinated move orchestrated with Malacañang, claiming that evidence proving such coordination will soon be revealed.
“At the right time, in the next chapter, the evidence of those calling him will be released to you… What happened yesterday was coordinated,” he said, citing statements from Senator Jinggoy Estrada. The tension escalated further following Estrada’s arrest inside the Senate premises on plunder charges related to the flood control projects controversy — an event Cayetano cited as part of broader efforts to silence the Senate. Despite these claims, the Palace stands firm on its position, leaving Cayetano’s bloc without formal recognition from the Executive and legislative counterparts.
