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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House leader backs calls for special session to end Senate leadership squabble

House leader backs calls for special session to end Senate leadership squabble

Published Jun 6, 2026 11:33 pm
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (left), Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian (Facebook)
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (left), Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian (Facebook)


A ranking member of the House of Representatives is willing to support calls for a special session if only to allow the Senate to straighten out its leadership squabble.
House Committee on Justice Chairperson Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said a special session could help restore order, address pending matters, and keep the impeachment process moving despite the impasse between the Senate majority and minority blocs.
“Para sa bayan (For the country's sake), we’re going to do a special session,” Luistro, also the lead prosecutor in Vice President Sara Duterte's upcoming Senate impeachment trial, said over the weekend.
“I’ve been hearing na ito rin ‘yung direction ng executive (I've been hearing that this was also the direction of the executive) because we wanted to correct or do good whatever was overlooked because of all the irregularities and commotions in the Senate,” Luistro said.
The bicameral legislature (House and Senate) have already adjourned sine die for the first regular session of the 20th Congress last June 3.
If President Marcos calls for a special session of the Senate, then the House must also hold the same.
Recent intramurals at the Senate have seen two Senate Presidents and an Acting Senate President since May 11--less than a month ago. These are Senators Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Sherwin Gatchalian.
The dispute is now mainly between Cayetano and Gatchalian, whose authorities appear to overlap.
Incidentally, May 11 was the day that the House impeached Duterte for the second time in as many years. The Senate is constitutionally mandated to hold an impeachment trial against the Vice President forthwith.
Since then, the Senate has continued to deal with the fallout from its leadership conflict, which has raised questions over trial notices, deadlines, committee authority and the smooth opening of the impeachment trial.
Luistro said she has yet to receive official information on when a special session could be called, but expressed hope that the new majority would be given time to settle down and eventually find a working arrangement with the old leadership.
The lead prosecutor said the priority should be to allow institutions to move forward, especially with the constitutional process already at the stage where pre-trial preparations are expected to begin soon.
“Siguro let’s give time to the new majority to settle themselves and hopefully magkasundo rin sila along with the old leadership para maka-move forward ang lahat,” Luistro added.
(Maybe let’s give the new majority time to settle themselves, and hopefully they can also come to terms with the old leadership so everyone can move forward.)
The Batangueña did not ignore the gravity of the Senate turmoil, which has already placed the chamber under intense public scrutiny.
“Ang dami na ng ating nasaksihang, what I mean the issues surrounding the change of leadership, the commotions most especially that are happening in Senate. Dati may habulan at saka takbuhan. Ngayon naman may balyahan,” Luistro added.
(We have already witnessed so many issues surrounding the change in leadership, the commotions especially happening in the Senate. Before there was chasing and running. Now there is shoving.)
Despite these disruptions, Luistro’s position was that the impeachment trial should remain on track, with the pre-trial scheduled on June 15 and the first day of actual trial on July 6.

Related Tags

Senate Alan Peter Cayetano Sherwin Gatchalian Gerville \"Jinky Bitrics\" Luistro Special Session IMPEACHMENT Sara Duterte
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