Supreme Court Has Issued No Ruling on Pending Petition Over Legality of Cayetano’s Ouster as Senate President

The Supreme Court has issued no order reinstating Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president or invalidating Win Gatchalian’s temporary leadership of the chamber. A petition to uphold the legality of the June 3 session that removed Cayetano remains pending before the High Court, with no decision announced. The petition was filed June 8 by high school teacher John Barry Tayam.

No announcement of any ruling has appeared on the Supreme Court’s website or official social media accounts, and no mainstream media outlets have reported a decision. Videos posted by the YouTube channel “PHILIPPINES TRENDING NEWS,” which has 544,000 subscribers, claim the court reinstated Cayetano and declared Gatchalian’s position invalid.

The videos have drawn between 20,000 and 60,000 views each, with thumbnails showing the Supreme Court building and images of the two Senate blocs.

The Senate’s official website lists Gatchalian as Senate president pro tempore and identifies Cayetano only as a senator. No further updates on the petition have been published beyond its filing. The disputed June 3 session followed two consecutive days when Cayetano and his allies skipped plenary sessions on June 1 and June 2, preventing a quorum.

Senator Chiz Escudero’s appearance on June 3 allowed Gatchalian’s bloc to reach the numbers needed to declare all elected seats vacant and elect a temporary Senate president. The Senate’s quorum of 12 senators is legal.