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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends a situation briefing in Malacañang on June 9, 2026 to stay abreast of developments in the aftermath of the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Mindanao on June 8. (Courtesy: Bongbong Marcos)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants senators to settle their internal disputes first before any request for a special session moves forward, Malacañang said Tuesday, warning that legislative deadlock could render such a session ineffective.
Speaking at a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said discussions regarding a possible special session are still being finalized.
“As of the moment, it is still being finalized, but the President’s preference is for the Senate to reach an agreement first because even if the President calls for a special session, if they themselves cannot come to a consensus, the President’s wish would be rendered useless,” Castro told reporters.
She stressed that the senators should focus on resolving their differences because the matter concerns public welfare rather than personal interests.
“They should fix the Senate so that… this is for the people, not for personal gain. So, they should first resolve their conflicts and issues in the Senate,” Castro said.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said a special session may be needed to correct what was overlooked because of the irregularities and commotions in the Senate.
Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice and lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, said she was willing to support a special session if it would help restore order, address pending matters, and keep the impeachment process moving despite the Senate leadership dispute.
“For the country’s sake, we’re going to do a special session,” Luistro said in an interview over dzBB.
A party-list lawmaker on Tuesday expressed strong support for convening an emergency session of Congress to immediately address the backlog of urgent legislative measures left unacted upon in recent weeks.
The proposal for an emergency session was floated by Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian, amid stalled priority measures among them a supplemental budget to respond to the Middle East crisis.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña cited the need for Congress to hold a special session as Akbayan is spearheading efforts in Congress to fast-track a P52.8- billion supplemental budget that will prioritize cushioning vulnerable sectors from the economic and humanitarian impacts of the escalating Middle East crisis.
“This special session is timely so that we can pass the urgent bills that have been pending. One of them is the supplemental budget for immediate assistance to those affected by the Middle East crisis. The country is still very much susceptible to further price shocks and erosion of our citizens’ incomes,” Cendaña said.
“We cannot afford to be lulled into complacency. Based on the economic data–the inflation is at a high 6.8 percent and as much as 28 percent of Filipinos are at risk of sliding into poverty. These are serious issues that need urgent solutions,” he added.
Akbayan’s supplemental budget proposal consists of P38 billion in emergency repatriation for OFWs, P12 billion for transportation subsidies, and P2.8 billion in agricultural subsidies to farmers and fisherfolk.
The progressive lawmaker also expressed confidence that the Special Session will tackle other important measures such as the P200 minimum wage hike.
Asked whether a continuing power gridlock in the Senate could prevent a special session from taking place, Castro said a session would have little value if lawmakers remain unable to work together.
“As we said, even if the President calls for a special session, even if it comes from him, if nothing happens because the senators in the Senate cannot agree, it will be for nothing,” she said.
Castro also suggested that any attempt to obstruct the conduct of a special session would ultimately be a matter for senators to resolve among themselves, reiterating the Palace’s position on the recognized Senate leadership.
— Charles Dantes & Maricel Cruz
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Credit belongs to: www.manilastandard.net
