The Palace said it supports Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as the acting Senate president after he was named on Wednesday.by a new majority of 12 lawmakers.

''The Palace recognizes the leadership of acting Senate President Sherwin President,'' said Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro in a Palace briefing.

''The executive believes in the rule of law and the decisions of the Supreme Court. It is clear that the ones who detclared all the elected positions in the Senate vacant are 12 with a recognized base number of 22 because Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Senator (Ronald) Bato (DelaRosa) are beyond coercive search, '' she said.

Estrada was given an arrest warrant for plunder by the Sandiganbayan, a non-bailable offense. Dela Rosa, who has an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for being allegedly involved in the crimes against humanity, has not been seen since leaving the Senate on May 14.

Despite the new majority of 12 senators naming Gatchalian as acting Senate president, the former majority--now 10-- headed by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano held a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control scandal on Thursday.

The camp of Gatchalian will hold their own Blue Ribbon hearing to be chaired Senator Erwin Tulfo.

Castro urged both camps ''should settle any issues involving the Senate '' PHS