MANILA. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian was formally elected as the new Senate President on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, during a special session of Congress that achieved the required quorum of 13 lawmakers.
The session proceeded after Senator Joel Villanueva arrived and participated in the proceedings. Also present were Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, JV Ejercito, Pia Hontiveros, Lito Lapid, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, Bam Aquino, and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III was elected as the new Senate President Pro Tempore.
Escudero and Villanueva were former members of the Senate majority bloc led by ousted Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano. Escudero left the Cayetano-bloc after his surprise appearance during the controversial June 3 plenary session when Gatchalian was elected as Senate Pro Tempore and acting Senate President.
Before the special session, Cayetano issued a statement accepting his ouster and expressing no bitterness toward Villanueva.
“I have seen the pressures that were brought to bear, and I understand them. May the public’s judgment of you be a kind one. We are not enemies, only colleagues, brothers caught in a moment larger than us all,” said Cayetano.
“This was never about the Senate presidency. From the very beginning, it was about the truth — the truth about the flood-control funds, the billions meant to shield our towns and our families from the waters, the protection that was paid for and never came. That is the fight that began all of this -- one side wanted to bring it out, the other was desperate to keep it covered. And it is a fight that we intend to continue, no title or position required,” he added.
