Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday, June 9 has shot down proposals for a possible power-sharing deal in the Senate to solve the leadership deadlock in the Upper Chamber.

Gatchalian said it was clear who was elected as the Senate President Pro Tempore and eventually designated as the acting Senate President last June 3, 2026 plenary session.

“So klaro po duon sino ang dinesignate at hinalal. Tayo po yun, isa lang. Kaya hindi po posible yung power-sharing dahil isang tao lang po ang hinalal (So it was clear there who were designated and elected. And that is us—just one. That is why power-sharing is not possible because only one person was elected,” Gatchalian said in an interview on DZRH radio.

Gatchalian also said the Senate nor anyone from his camp has not received any request from the Supreme Court asking them to comment on questions or petition questioning the legitimacy of his leadership.

“Wala pa kaming natatanggap eh, sa Supreme Court any request to comment or file or submit documents…wala pa kaming nakukuha (We haven’t received any request to comment or file or submit documents from the Supreme Court. We haven’t received anything,” he pointed out.

Last 3, 12 senators, including Gatchalian, formed a quorum despite the alleged boycott of 10 senators, including then Senate president Alan Peter Cayetano. 

Cayetano and his group had been absent in the last three session days, prompting the new majority to install a new set of officials in the Senate, and designating Gatchalian as the acting Senate chief.

Gatchalian’s designation as acting Senate President was then recognized by Malacañang and the House of Representatives.

But Cayetano insisted he remains the Senate leader and that Gatchalian’s election and the actions of the new majority bloc were illegal. 

To ensure continuity of the Senate’s functions and to shield employees of the upper chamber from the repercussions of the leadership impasse, Cayetano proposed  possible interim administrative arrangements with Gatchalian’s group.

One of the proposal is the “adoption of a dual-signatory or joint-certification mechanism for vouchers, checks, disbursements, contracts, personnel actions, and other documents necessary for the continued operations of the Senate and the Impeachment Court.” 

But Gatchalian insisted he is now the presiding officer of the impeachment court, which was convened on May 18 to try the case of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Also, in a separate statement, Gatchalian also said that Senate records confirm the longstanding validity of a 12-member quorum. 

“Hindi natin pwedeng baguhin ang kasaysayan. Ang Senate records mismo ang nagpapatunay na hindi na bago ang nangyaring sesyon noong June 3 at ito ay lehitimo (We can’t change history. Senate records itself can attest that what happened last June 3 was nothing new and that is legitimate),” he said.