Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA &mdash; Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Monday confirmed that some senators from the minority bloc, which he is allied with, were negotiating to install Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the new leader of the Senate.&nbsp;</p><p>Pangilinan over the weekend openly <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/23/pangilinan-says-solid-bloc-11-minority-backs-gatchalian-for-senate-president-0809">expressed support for Gatchalian</a> to replace Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president. Gatchalian previously <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/22/gatchalian-says-ready-to-be-senate-president-kung-handa-handa-talaga-1034">said he was &quot;ready&quot;</a> to take up the role.</p><p>Talks of another Senate leadership change persisted nearly two weeks after a shootout rocked the chamber on May 13, which which was followed by Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa&#39;s exit from the Senate premises. Dela Rosa is wanted by International Criminal Court.&nbsp;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/24/nbi-teams-monitoring-3-areas-bato-dela-rosa-might-be-hiding-1343">NBI teams monitoring 3 areas Bato Dela Rosa might be hiding</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/cayetano-insists-senate-was-under-attack-1622">Cayetano insists Senate was &#39;under attack&#39;</a></div><p>Speaking on ANC, Pangilinan said the public criticism of the chaos and its handling &quot;may make [a] number of the senators in the majority now think twice,&quot; adding that &quot;several senators&quot; from their group are now &quot;doing backchannel talks.&quot; &nbsp;</p><p>Asked when the leadership change could happen, he said: &quot;Mahirap sabihin, it can be later, it can be next week.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We&#39;re hoping that a number of those in the majority will decide not because of anything else, not because there&rsquo;s something in exchange for it, but because they&rsquo;re being sensitive to the public pulse,&quot; the senator said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/23/house-prosecution-panel-unbothered-by-talks-of-another-senate-leadership-change-1600">House prosecution panel unbothered by talk of another Senate leadership change</a></div><p>The Senate minority comprises 11 senators, and two more are needed to elect Gatchalian to the chamber&#39;s presidency.</p><p>But Pangilinan said their group was also &quot;open to just staying where we are, a solid 11, and work as a united solid group&quot; to counter disinformation, the &quot;disregard&quot; for rules, and &quot;a lot of innuendo that&#39;s going on.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Sitting senators should not underestimate, ever, the wrath of the public... Let our voices be heard and hopefully, knock some sense or enlighten a number of our colleagues in the Senate to do what the right things,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/23/cayetano-says-senate-presidency-up-to-the-lord-amid-another-brewing-coup-1917">Cayetano says Senate presidency &#39;up to the Lord&#39; amid another brewing coup</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/24/cayetano-s-defense-of-drug-war-insults-victims-and-their-families-conti-1321"></a><br><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/24/cayetano-s-defense-of-drug-war-insults-victims-and-their-families-conti-1321">Cayetano&#39;s defense of drug war insults victims and their families &mdash; Conti</a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:&nbsp;</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XdxohMoFYWU?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BZkBxni9SOQ?&wmode=opaque&rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br></div>

<p>Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Monday confirmed that some senators from the minority bloc, which he is allied with, were negotiating to install Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the new leader of the Senate.</p>

Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Monday confirmed that some senators from the minority bloc, which he is allied with, were negotiating to install Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the new leader of the Senate.

Another Senate shakeup looming? 'It can be later, it can be next week,' says Pangilinan

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Another Senate shakeup looming? 'It can be later, it can be next week,' says Pangilinan

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 25, 2026 12:11 PM PHT

|

Updated May 25, 2026 01:41 PM PHT

Read More:

Sherwin Gatchalian

Francis Pangilinan

Alan Peter Cayetano

Senate

Senate Leadership

Senate Shakeup

Senate Coup

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