Senator Sherwin Gatchalian elected Senate president pro tempore

The election took place during the final session day before Congress adjourns sine die. Senator Chiz Escudero joined the Senate minority bloc for the session, helping constitute a quorum. No members of the majority bloc attended.

Leadership transition Senator Tito Sotto administered Gatchalian's oath as the most senior member of the chamber. Senator Migz Zubiri was elected chair of the Senate committee on rules. The 11-member minority bloc, led by former Senate president Vicente Sotto III, had pushed for Gatchalian to replace Alan Peter Cayetano.

The bloc cited Cayetano's tenure as marked by chaos and controversy. "He is capable, qualified and prepares for his work. In all the committee hearings he attended or presided over, he knew what he was talking about and he was prepared," Senator Panfilo Lacson said in a May 23 DZMM interview.

Senator Francis Pangilinan highlighted Gatchalian's work as former chair of the Senate committee on finance. Gatchalian had pushed for greater public participation in the budget process and flagged suspicious infrastructure projects before being replaced by Senator Mark Villar following the May 11 leadership change.

Cayetano had appeared supportive of Gatchalian during a May 20 plenary session, joking that he might vote for him one day amid rumors of another leadership shift.