Senate holds special session

The Senate on Wednesday morning convened a special session in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to act on priority measures.

The upper chamber began the special session past 9 a.m., presided over by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

Present in the plenary hall were: Senators Gatchalian, Erwin Tulfo, Ping Lacson, Lito Lapid, Chiz Escudero, Risa Hontiveros, Vicente Sotto III, Bam Aquino, JV Ejercito, Kiko Pangilinan, Raffy Tulfo, Joel Villanueva, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Aside from taking up a number of priority legislation, senators are expected to elect a new Senate President within the day.

This came after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano conceded the Senate presidency, noting that the “arithmetic has changed” —-an implication that the Gatchalian-led bloc has numbers for a leadership change.

Under Proclamation No. 1318, Marcos directed Congress to have a special session on June 17, 2026, to urgently consider the passage of the following priority legislative measures: