By Cris Diaz
THE CYNOSURE
The leadership struggle in the Philippine Senate demonstrates the intoxication of power. Contrary to legal opinions, ousted Senate President Peter Cayetano continues to cling to the presidency—come “high hell or high water.”
Cayetano maintains that he remains the legitimate Senate President after the new majority bloc elected Senator Win Gatchalian as the new Senate President.
It all started when Cayetano and his majority bloc boycotted the Senate plenary sessions on June 1 and June 2 to dramatize their protest against the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada on anti-graft charges.
The minority bloc protested the absence of the majority bloc in the plenary session, describing it as immoral and an insult to the intelligence of the Filipinos.
According to Senate President Gatchalian, the majority bloc robbed the taxpaying Filipino people of more than P128 million a day by boycotting the plenary session.
Gatchalian stated that, for its operation, the Senate spends more than P128 million daily on salaries and wages for its employees and personnel.
A Philippine senator with Salary Grade 31 enjoys a basic monthly salary of ₱200,000 to ₱300,000. This means that Filipinos pay a monthly total of ₱7 million for the 24 senators.
Senator Chiz Escudero knows his obligation to the Filipino people. He parted ways with the Cayetano-led bloc and joined the minority bloc during the plenary session on June 3, 2026.
Escudero transformed the minority bloc into the majority bloc. With the new majority bloc, Gatchalian was elected President pro tempore, allowing the Senate to fulfill its mandate as a legislative body.
Cayetano, still protesting, is gnashing his teeth in a corner in a vain effort to regain power while the world watches him with contempt.
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