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4d ago

Philippine Senate Removes Cayetano and Elects Sherwin Gatchalian

The vote paves the way for the Senate to start Sara Duterte’s July 6 impeachment by placing allies in committee posts that will set the court’s agenda.

Philippine Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano gestures during a press conference concerning Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a former national police chief and top enforcer of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody "war on ‌drugs", who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and who has reportedly fled, a day after gunfire rang out at the Senate, where dela Rosa had taken refuge, fearing arrest, at the Philippine Senate in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines, May 14, 2026. REUTERS/Noel Celis
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Overview

  • Thirteen senators present in a special session voted unanimously for Sherwin Gatchalian, formalising the removal of Alan Peter Cayetano and triggering a reordering of committee leadership.
  • The special session was convened by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to speed passage of urgent bills and to reset the chamber’s calendar ahead of the impeachment court proceedings.
  • The Senate will sit as an impeachment court for Vice President Sara Duterte, with the trial scheduled to begin on July 6 and a conviction capable of banning her from public office.
  • Several senators aligned with the Duterte bloc were absent from the June 17 session and one defection supplied the votes that ended Cayetano’s short tenure as leader.
  • The leadership fight has followed weeks of tense episodes including a chaotic May session, the reappearance and disappearance of ICC-wanted Senator Ronald dela Rosa, and rising questions about the Senate’s stability and political direction.