Senator Sherwin Gatchalian was elected by the erstwhile minority as Senate President Pro-Tempore on Wednesday as Congress adjourned sine die.

Gatchalian was also named acting Senate President as 12 senators became the new majority after Senator Francis Escudero left the group led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, reducing the latter's group to 10.

This happened a few hours after an exasperated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr urged senators to go to work. Marcos said in an ambush interview that the public is witnessing a Senate leadership that has been thrown into disarray.

“But that is exactly the opposite from what we are trying to achieve,” the President said, stressing that it is a very sad situation to witness.

However, the situation appears to be far from over as Cayetano insisted in a Facebook interview that he is still the Senate president. He added that a Blue Ribbon Committee will continue on Thursday morning.

But Senator Erwin Tulfo, the new chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, said there is no such schedule and the hearing is for Monday.

The Senate elected new sets of committee chairpersons after the new majority bloc including Escudero approved on Wednesday a motion declaring all the leadership positions empty except the Senate presidency.

The former minority bloc immediately started a quorum right after the arrival of Escudero in the plenary on Wednesday which makes the total number of lawmakers present to 12.

In a press conference after the quorum, Senator Erwin Tulfosaid the 12 senators during the quorum are the new majority bloc, as the group of Cayetano decreased to 10 after Escudero left while Senator Jinggoy Estrada was arrested and Senator Ronald Dela Rosa went in hiding.

"The reason why we have to do this, there is already a violation of the constitution in three straight days they blatantly disregard the rule of law, the constitution, so we have to act and we are very fortunate that one of them, member of the majority before Senator Chiz Escudero do not conform and do not believe on what they are fighting for," he said.

"He (Escudero) believes that what they are fighting for is wrong, and that their boycott is only meant to defend some of their colleagues. So the guy suddenly made a decision today to join so that we could have a quorum," he added.

The new majority consists of Gatchalian, Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, and Senators Escudero, Bam Aquino, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Lito Lapid, Panfilo Lacson, JV Ejercito Estrada and Vicente Sotto III.

Tulfo explained that Gatchalian is only an acting Senate president.

"We cannot touch the Senate Presidency because we don't have 13, it is what the law says, you have to have 13, we don't... but he (Gatchalian) is the presiding officer from now on while Sen. Cayetano is absent it will be Senator Win who will be presiding from now on," he said.

"Rule 4 of the Senate Section 5 says a pro tempore may act as acting Senate president," he added.

Tulfo also explained that the new majority bloc can also oust Cayetano if the other members of the new minority group will also join them to get a total of at least 13 members.

"I still urge, we're still open, to the members of the (former) majority, please join us, we will accept you with open arms. Let's work together for the nation, not for ourselves, not for political parties, not for certain individuals but for the entire country. Let's work together, we will accept you, we will embrace you," he said.. Robina Asido/PHS