The Manila Times

Pangilinan to Cayetano: 'Checkmate'

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies should accept defeat and support the leadership of Sen. Win Gatchalian. The senator made the remark after Cayetano described the 12-member "new" majority bloc as the "Senate of Malacañang." Pangilinan said the Palace, the House of Representatives, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, retired justices, legal experts, law deans recognized Gatchalian as the "acting" Senate president following the June 3 reorganization in the Senate. He also said that even Landbank, the Senate's depositary bank, has recognized Gatchalian as acting Senate chief, "under the legal doctrine of presumption of regularity of official acts." "Kumbaga sa larong chess ay checkmate na sila (In the game of chess, so to speak, they were already checked mate)," Pangilinan said. The new majority was formed after Sen. Chiz Escudero switched to the then 11-member minority bloc where Gatchalian belonged. Prior to Escudero's transfer to Gatchalian's side, the number's game in the Senate was "11-11." During this time, Cayetano's ally, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa had gone hiding after the International Criminal Court ordered his arrest for crimes against humanity linked to his involvement in the Duterte administration's war on drugs. Cayetano's group was further reduced to 10 members with the arrest of Jinggoy Estrada for plunder.

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