MANILA — The Philippine Senate made a dramatic leadership change on Wednesday, voting out an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte as Senate president and replacing him with a new leader — all just weeks before the anticipated start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian was chosen as the new Senate president during a special session, officially completing the removal of Alan Peter Cayetano. The process had begun during a June 3 session when a bloc led by Gatchalian declared all leadership positions vacant, but fell short of the votes needed to elect a successor at that time.
Cayetano, who had only taken the Senate presidency the previous month, was absent from Wednesday’s session along with his political allies. The special session was convened by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to advance urgent legislation, including a bill targeting political dynasties.
Every one of the 13 senators who attended the session cast their vote for Gatchalian, who belongs to a different political party than Marcos. The full Senate has 24 members total.
The conflict over Senate leadership traces back to last month, when Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa — who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court — resurfaced after a lengthy absence from public view. His reappearance provided the deciding vote to put Cayetano, a former running mate of Rodrigo Duterte, in charge of the chamber, just as it was preparing to receive an impeachment complaint against the vice president.
Dela Rosa then quietly departed on May 14, just hours after chaos and gunfire broke out inside the Senate building. His current location remains unknown.
Rodrigo Duterte, the father of Vice President Sara Duterte, is currently held in ICC custody in The Hague, where he will stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity. Dela Rosa faces similar ICC charges stemming from his role as the chief enforcer of Duterte’s violent “war on drugs.” Both men deny the charges against them.
The Senate is set to formally convene as an impeachment court on July 6 to hear the case against Sara Duterte. A conviction could result in her being barred from holding public office, potentially ending her reported ambitions to run for president in 2028.
The impeachment complaint against her includes allegations of misappropriating public funds, accumulating unexplained wealth, and making threats against the lives of Marcos, the first lady, and a former House Speaker. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing and has characterized the impeachment proceedings as politically driven.
