By: Itchie G. Cabayan
THE Senate leadership deadlock is finally over— Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is now the new Senate President.
This, after Senator Joel Villanueva officially joined the Senate majority bloc on June 17, 2026 (Wednesday), ending days of speculation that he will be delivering the very crucial 13th vote needed to break the impasse that had paralyzed the Senate for weeks.
With the majority clinching the needed 13 votes during the special session, Gatchalian was voted as the new Senate leader while Senator Tito Sotto III is the new Senate President Pro Tempore. Senator Migz Zubiri is now the majority leader while Villanueva is the deputy majority leader and also chair of the higher education and labor committees.
The Senate also constituted the Blue Ribbon Committee, with 17 regular members and three ex-officio members. Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who was also named chair of the committees on energy and social justice, retained the chairmanship, with Senators Francis Pangilinan and Panfilo Lacson as vice chairpersons
The Senators proceeded with the special session without hitches and buckled down to work. They proceeded with using the special session to do all the legislative work that went pending due to the Senate chaos.
Meantime, deposed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, along with minority Senators Robin Padilla and Mark Villar, were a no-show in the said special session.
