Acting Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian called on all senators to attend the one-day special session scheduled on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

Earlier, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. requested Congress to convene and act on priority measures and confirm the appointments of five military generals.

“For me, it is important that we approve all of these bills and not waste this special session because this is our opportunity to finish everything that has been pending, which is why it’s important for our senators to attend,” Gatchalian said on Tuesday, June 16.

Gatchalian urged senators from both the majority and minority blocs to participate in the special session.

“I issued a statement encouraging all senators to attend, regardless of whether they are part of the majority or minority,” he said.

“These are very important matters, especially concerning the Commission on Appointments (CA), as we have already surpassed the time allotted for these agenda,” he said.

He said any delay in confirming the appointments of the five military generals could hinder them from performing their official duties.

Gatchalian also said he is confident that the scheduled proceedings will push forward effectively in coordination with the leadership from the House of Representatives.

 “Even in the CA, we have members from the House; I spoke with the Speaker over the last few days, and they are committed to coming, so they will arrive at the CA in full force,” he said.

The special session will begin at 9 a.m. and go on recess at 11 a.m. for the CA meeting. They will resume in the afternoon before the final adjournment that will be around 4 to 5 p.m.