Camille Naredo

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero arrives at the Senate Plenary Hall on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to attend the session, two days after members of the majority opted not to attend the session. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero arrives at the Senate Plenary Hall on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to attend the session, two days after members of the majority opted not to attend the session. In an issued statement, Escudero said that the current impasse is untenable and unacceptable, and that as senators, they should put the institution above themselves. He also clarified that he is not taking sides but chose to prioritize his duty as an elected lawmaker.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SENATE IMPASSE- ESCUDERO ARRIVAL

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178047879070320260603-senate-plenary-session-escudero-arrival-MT6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senator Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero arrives at the Senate Plenary Hall on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to attend the session, two days after members of the majority opted not to attend the session. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero arrives at the Senate Plenary Hall on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to attend the session, two days after members of the majority opted not to attend the session. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Malacañang recognizes the legitimacy of the new Senate leadership, a Palace official said Wednesday, shortly after the several senators pulled a surprise shake-up in the chamber and installed Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the new Senate President Pro-Tempore.</p><p>&quot;Ang nangyari sa Senado ngayong hapon ay naaayon sa batas at rule of law,&quot; Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>&quot;Kinikilala at nirerespeto ng Palasyo ang desisyon ng bagong mayorya at ang liderato ni Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian,&quot; she said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/senate-plenary-session-majority-minority-1501">READ: Gatchalian elected as Senate president pro tempore</a></div><p>Gatchalian was catapulted to the Senate&#x27;s helm after Sen. Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero appeared on the last day of session before its sine die adjournment, giving the former minority bloc the needed 12 votes to elect new Senate officials, except for the Senate President.</p><p>Under the law, the Senate requires 13 votes from the 24-member chamber to elect a new Senate President, while other officials may be changed through a majority  vote based on the current number of active senators.</p><p>Former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano used to enjoy a 13-member bloc, but his group was diminished to 10 members after Escudero cast his vote for Gatchalian following <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/29/davao-police-say-no-sightings-yet-of-dela-rosa-in-region-monitoring-continues-1512">Senator Ronald Dela Rosa&#x27;s absence</a> without leave to evade an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, and <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/2/jinggoy-estrada-graft-arraignment-pleads-not-guilty-1323">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada&#x27;s arrest</a> on the non-bailable charge of plunder.</p><p>Earlier in the day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged senators to &quot;get back to work&quot; after the chamber failed to convene for 2 consecutive days after Cayetano and his allies staged a boycott following Estrada&#x27;s arrest.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/marcos-on-senate-impasse-get-back-to-work-0949">READ: Marcos urges senators to &#x27;get back to work&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Nakikita natin ang epekto nito hindi lang sa kanilang liderato pero pati sa ekonomiya kaya ang gusto ng Pangulo ay magtrabaho na po lahat dahil ang ehekutibo, ang judiciary nagtratrabaho so dapat din po na ang Kongreso — lalong lalo na ang Senado — ay magpatuloy sa pagtratrabaho,&quot; Castro told reporters in a separate chance interview.</p><p>The Palace official also slammed the President&#x27;s elder sister — Sen. Imee Marcos — for citing the Chief Executive&#x27;s low survey numbers in response to the administration&#x27;s call for the Senate to resume work.</p><p>&quot;Kahit na tumaas o bumaba ang numero ng Pangulo sa rating, tuloy pa rin ang trabaho,&quot; Castro said, noting that the President&#x27;s trust and performance ratings differ in various polling firms.</p><p>&quot;Iba-iba man ang survey firms, makikita talaga natin kung sino ba talaga ang nagtratrabaho, sino na lang ang nagbabakasyon lang at sino yung puro paninira na lang sa administrasyon,&quot; she said.</p><p>Castro also defended the Palace from allegations that cases and arrests being made against opposition lawmakers are considered as political persecution.</p><p>&quot;Ang nangyayari kasi ngayon, kapag gumagawa sila ng labag sa batas at kapag sila ay naaakusahan o naiimbestigahan, ang sasabihin lang nila ay laging political persecution,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Kung wala naman silang nilalabag na batas at tamang pag kritiko lamang, hindi naman sila makakasuhan so siguro sila din dapat ang unang dapat na tumupad sa batas ang unang huwag na lalabas sa batas,&quot; she added.</p><p>Marcos earlier said that the Senate impasse has thrown the chamber &quot;into disarray.&quot;</p><p>The administration is &quot;examining all options&quot; and &quot;looking at the constitution&quot; to &quot;see how we can remedy the situation,&quot; the President had said.</p><p>So far, the Palace has yet to answer allegations that Marcos had a meeting with Escudero in Malacañang hours before he went to the Senate, and became the deciding vote that toppled Cayetano&#x27;s majority bloc.</p><div><strong>— with reports from Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News.</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RHs9YWhnjxc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Malacañang recognizes the legitimacy of the new Senate leadership, a Palace official said Wednesday, shortly after the several senators pulled a surprise shake-up in the chamber and installed Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the new Senate President Pro-Tempore.</p>

Malacañang recognizes the legitimacy of the new Senate leadership, a Palace official said Wednesday, shortly after the several senators pulled a surprise shake-up in the chamber and installed Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as the new Senate President Pro-Tempore.

Malacañang recognizes legitimacy of new Senate majority: Castro

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Malacañang recognizes legitimacy of new Senate majority: Castro

Katrina Domingo and Daniza Fernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 03, 2026 05:28 PM PHT

Read More:

Malacañang

Claire Castro

Senate

politics

Sherwin Gatchalian

Alan Peter Cayetano

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