PASAY CITY — Senate President Win Gatchalian emphasized the importance of professional courtesy during legislative office transitions, contrasting a smooth handover he received with a recent controversy involving a stripped-down office.
Gatchalian’s comments on Monday followed a seamless transition from Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who left the Office of the Senate President fully furnished.
Sotto’s orderly turnover allowed the new leader to take charge without dealing with structural repairs or renovations.
“Nagpapasalamat ako kay Senator Sotto dahil (kahit) personal chair niya and sofa iniwan niya doon. Ready to move in ako, hit the ground running para hindi ko na rin aasikasuhin yung renovation,” Gatchalian told reporters during an ambush interview.
The discussion on office handover standards emerged amid a separate issue surrounding the room previously used by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, which Sotto was slated to occupy. Estrada, currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail over plunder and graft charges tied to a flood control scandal, left his former office completely bare.
The stripped room lacked essential fixtures, including floor tiles, toilets, lighting, and electrical sockets, which could require public funds to repair.
While Estrada’s camp defended the removal by claiming the upgrades came from personal funds and that dismantling fixtures is common practice, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson refuted this, stating he left the exact same office intact when he transferred it to Estrada in 2022.
The leadership shuffle and subsequent office transitions took place at the Senate building in Pasay City following Gatchalian’s ascension to the Senate presidency in June.