Citing what he calls a "political trend", House Deputy Speaker La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V sees the new Senate majority under Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian gaining even more size and strength in the coming days.

Speaking in a DZBB interview on Sunday, June 7, Ortega said recent political developments suggested that alignments in the Senate remain fluid and may still shift depending on how senators respond to public sentiment and any internal negotiations.

“Sa trend ng mga nangyayari, hindi po ako magtataka kung may mga lumipat sa bagong mayorya (In the trend of events, I would not be surprised if some move to the new majority)," Ortega said.

However, the House leader clarified that this wasn't a fearless forecast as he had no direct information on any confirmed realignments.

“Wala naman po akong impormasyon o kahit ano. Parang binabasa mo lang ‘yung galaw ng politika (I have no information or anything. It’s like you’re just reading the flow of politics)," he noted.

It can be recalled that last June 3, the Senate--after mustering a quorum of 12--declared all elected seats vacant and elected Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Senate President.

Meanwhile, the 11 senators aligned with erstwhile Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano did not participate in the session. Congress adjourned sine die for the first regular session that same day.

The latest Senate upheaval was only made possible by Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero's "defection" from the Cayetano boc to the Gatchalian bloc before the start of the session.

The leadership change was anchored on the Avelino v. Cuenco (1949) ruling, which allowed a quorum to be determined based on the number of sitting and participating members rather than the full 24-member Senate roster.

With Senator Jinggoy Estrada detained on plunder charges and Senator Bato dela Rosa reportedly in hiding due to an International Criminal Court (ICC)-issued arrest warrant, only 22 senators were effectively active. This supposedly makes 12 a working quorum.

The legality of this arrangement, however, remains disputed between the Gatchalian and Cayetano blocs, leaving the Senate leadership question unresolved amid the chamber’s pending task of holding Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.

Ortega says senators are likely aware of public sentiment surrounding the prolonged leadership dispute, which has also drawn attention away from legislative work, pending priority measures, and pertinent national issues.

This, he said, could trigger more movement from one bloc to the other.

“So baka magkaroon ng lipatan to get more numbers, pero hindi po natin masasabi kasi napakakonti lang po nila kaya minsan unpredictable din po (So there might be shifts to get more numbers, but we cannot say for sure because there are so few of them that sometimes it’s unpredictable),” Ortega said.

“Pero ako, nakikita ko na baka magbago pa yung numbers (But for me, I see that the numbers might still change),” he added.

At any rate, the deputy speaker has reiterated that the House of Representatives has recognized Gatchalian's leadership in the Senate and expects the upper chamber’s internal dispute to be resolved without affecting the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte.

Ortega says the House has already fulfilled its constitutional duty in the impeachment process and is now waiting for the Senate impeachment court to proceed with trial preparations.

“Kami po kasi sa Kongreso, halos tapos na po. Natapos na namin ‘yung mga obligasyon namin, ‘yung trabaho namin ‘yung sa impeachment,” said Ortega, who was one of the endorsers of the four impeachment complaints filed this year against Duterte.

(We in Congress are almost finished. We have already completed our obligations, our work on the impeachment.)

“Gusto namin talaga ma-resolve na nila ‘yung internal issues nila kasi yung malaking question mark noong 19th Congress pa saka nitong 20th Congress eh ‘yung trial po na maumpisahan na,” he added.

(We really want them to resolve their internal issues because the big question mark since the 19th Congress and now in the 20th Congress is for the trial to finally begin.)

The House is hopeful, Ortega said, that the disagreement between the Gatchalian and Cayetano blocs will soon be settled so the chamber can focus on its constitutional responsibilities, including the impeachment trial.

“When the dust settles, ‘pag nawala na po lahat tong bangayan at nagkaintindihan na po sila o nagkausap o mayroon nang resolution, umpisahan na po natin tong impeachment na trial. Kasi kung ano pong resulta niyan, importante po na masagot ‘yung mga tanong ng taumbayan, mga hinahantay ng taumbayan,” he said.

(Once all these disputes are settled and they reach an understanding or resolution, we must begin the impeachment trial. Whatever the result may be, it is important to answer the people’s questions and expectations.)