A high-ranking member of the House of Representatives has thrown her support behind the idea of calling a special session of Congress to help the Senate iron out its internal leadership conflict and maintain the momentum of crucial legislative and constitutional proceedings.
Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro, who is the lead prosecutor for the upcoming Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, stated that a special session would serve as a vital opportunity to fix the gridlock in the upper chamber and ensure government institutions operate smoothly.
“Para sa bayan, we’re going to do a special session,” Luistro said over the weekend.
Luistro pointed out that discussions within the executive branch seem to align with this approach, aiming to remedy issues that may have been sidelined during the recent chaos in the Senate.
“I’ve been hearing na ito rin ‘yung direction ng executive because we wanted to correct or do good whatever was overlooked because of all the irregularities and commotions in the Senate,” Luistro said.
The first regular session of the 20th Congress officially adjourned sine die on June 3. If President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decides to call the Senate to a special session, the House of Representatives is constitutionally mandated to convene concurrently.
The Senate has grappled with intense leadership instability over the past few weeks, seeing two Senate Presidents and an Acting Senate President take the helm since May 11. The core of the standoff involves Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Win Gatchalian, whose overlapping claims to authority have thrown the chamber into a state of limbo.
This leadership vacuum unfolded on the exact day the House voted to impeach Vice President Duterte for the second time in two years. Under the Constitution, the Senate must convene as an impeachment court to try the case.
The leadership dispute has since generated significant friction regarding committee jurisdictions, procedural deadlines, official notifications, and overall readiness for the high-profile impeachment proceedings.
While Luistro clarified that she has not received any formal notice concerning a special session, she urged everyone to give the newly formed majority bloc ample time to establish themselves and seek a middle ground with the previous leadership.
“Siguro let’s give time to the new majority to settle themselves and hopefully magkasundo rin sila along with the old leadership para maka-move forward ang lahat,” Luistro added.
She also acknowledged the intensifying public scrutiny surrounding the internal friction within the Senate, which has played out transparently in recent weeks.
“Ang dami na ng ating nasaksihang, what I mean the issues surrounding the change of leadership, the commotions most especially that are happening in Senate. Dati may habulan at saka takbuhan. Ngayon naman may balyahan,” Luistro added.
Despite the ongoing organizational chaos, Luistro emphasized that the timeline for the impeachment must be strictly followed, noting that pre-trial preparations are slated for June 15, while the formal trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.