The Senate minority bloc has rejected a proposal to support Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s possible return as Senate president, standing firm on its choice of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as its bet for the chamber’s top post.
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said Monday there were discussions brought through intermediaries about backing Escudero if he joined the minority, but the proposal was quickly turned down by the 11-member bloc.
“There were discussions, but it was immediately shot down by the minority bloc,” Pangilinan said in an interview.
He said the proposition was no longer pursued because it was not acceptable to the group.
The talks emerged amid continuing moves to replace Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano following the May 13 commotion inside the Senate building, an incident that has fueled criticism of the chamber’s leadership.
Pangilinan said the so-called Solid Bloc 11 remains united behind Gatchalian, describing the choice as non-negotiable.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also confirmed hearing about efforts to form a new majority bloc, saying she is open to working with senators who share the minority’s values and institutional concerns.
However, she also maintained that Gatchalian would be a good choice to lead the Senate.
“Kung maging si Senator Sherwin yan, magiging mabuti yan para sa Senado,” Hontiveros said.
A change in Senate leadership requires the vote of at least 13 senators. Pangilinan declined to say whether members of the minority were reaching out to Senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar to secure enough votes.
He said several senators had been assigned to conduct backchannel talks for what he described as a possible “win-win” Gatchalian Senate presidency.
“Mas mabuti sigurong di muna namin divulge kasi siyempre there are discussions,” Pangilinan said.
Asked when a leadership change could happen, he said the timeline remained uncertain.
“We’d like to finish this and fix the problem and go back to work,” Pangilinan said.
He added that developments could move quickly, but some negotiations still take time.
The minority bloc is hoping that some members of the majority will cross over due to public pressure after the Senate incident.
Pangilinan said calls for a Senate president’s resignation are unusual and may prompt some senators, especially those sensitive to public opinion, to rethink their position.
“So, we’re hoping that a number of those in the majority would decide, not because there’s anything in exchange, but because they’re sensitive to the public pulse,” he said.