Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Senator Win Gatchalian delivers a statement as the new Senate President Pro Tempore after being elected by his colleagues, replacing Senator Loren Legarda during the Senate session on June 3, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781074701274178075079024320260603-senate-plenary-session-gatchalian-MT4.jpg.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Sen. Win Gatchalian delivers a statement as the new Senate President Pro Tempore after being elected by his colleagues, replacing Senator Loren Legarda during the Senate session on June 3, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/>Sen. Win Gatchalian delivers a statement as the new Senate President Pro Tempore after being elected by his colleagues, replacing Senator Loren Legarda during the Senate session on June 3, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who has effective control of the Senate, said his doors remain open to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies.Asked about personally reaching out to Cayetano, who says he is still senate president, Gatchalian said: &quot;Bukas yung aking tanggapan (Our office is open). So my doors are open. My heart is open. &quot;Gatchalian said he already has &quot;operational and management&quot; control of the upper chamber and that Land Bank of the Philippines has already transferred signing authority to him.He said that means he can issue checks and debit documents from the Senate&#x27;s accounts, which he said is &quot;clear evidence&quot; of that operational control.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/8/cayetano-proposes-arrangement-with-gatchalian-bloc-over-senate-leadership-row-0951">Cayetano proposes &#x27;arrangement&#x27; with Gatchalian bloc over Senate leadership row </a></div>Gatchalian said he has also reached out to Senate staff to assure them they will not be affected by the leadership squabble. He said many Senate employees were anxious about how they would be paid amid the leadership dispute.&quot;That&#x27;s why in the last few days sobrang busy talaga looking at the process ng sweldo and pagbabayad ng expenses ng Senado. &quot;(That&#x27;s why in the last few days I have been very busy looking at the process of paying salaries and paying the Senate&#x27;s expenses.)He said he would be signing checks and debit arrangements for the release of incentives for employees.He has also approved the promotions of eight Senate employees that the chamber&#x27;s promotions board had screened.Sen. Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson on Tuesday said recognition by the House of Representatives, Malacañang and the Civil Service Commission should leave no doubt that Gatchalian and his bloc are the new Senate majority. He also said Cayetano is trying to sow confusion.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/7/cayetano-defends-senate-leadership-warns-against-malaca-ang-influence-0037">Cayetano defends Senate leadership, warns against Malacañang influence</a></div>Gatchalian had rejected Cayetano&#x27;s proposed interim arrangement of having two signatories on documents as a compromise.He noted that Cayetano&#x27;s Senate secretary, Jose Luis Montales, has already started to turn over documents.Gatchalian also pushed back on Cayetan&#x27;s framing of the Senate being divided into one that supposedly obeys Malacañang and another that supposedly represents the people.&quot;There&#x27;s only one Senate. It&#x27;s the Senate of the Philippines,&quot; he said, acknowledging however that there are two groups in the chamber: the 12-member Gatchalian bloc and the Cayetano bloc, which he said has 10.He said that he is ow preparing the agenda of a potential special session to allow the Senate to catch up on unfinished business. He said the Commission on Appointments on stalled military promotions and has received briefings on bills set for third reading. — RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who has effective control of the Senate, said his doors remain open to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies.

Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, who has effective control of the Senate, said his doors remain open to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies.

Gatchalian says his doors, heart open to Cayetano and allies

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Gatchalian says his doors, heart open to Cayetano and allies

ABS-CBN News

Published June 10, 2026 03:02 PM PHT

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Sherwin Gatchalian

Alan Peter Cayetano

Senate

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