The Senate is shifting back to its legislative agenda after weeks of political tension, with Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian declaring a return to normal work as the chamber prepares for priority bills and the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Tapos na ang Senateflix. Back to work na tayo,” Gatchalian told reporters on Thursday, June 18, as senators conducted a pretrial conference related to the impeachment case.
Gatchalian said the chamber will now focus on advancing measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) while simultaneously completing preparations for the impeachment proceedings set to begin on July 6.
He said senators have been instructed to resume committee hearings during the legislative break following the reorganization of committee leadership.
“So in the next few weeks, we will focus also on the bills. We will request the senators to already proceed with their hearings,” he said.
Gatchalian noted that with only two years left in the current Congress, the Senate must prioritize the passage of key legislation while managing pending measures that may take up to two years to complete.
He said he has been engaging committee chairpersons and key lawmakers to help fast-track deliberations and identify workable solutions for pending bills.
“Kaya yesterday, pag may bills, talagang I talked to the chairman, I talked to the people who will debate para makita natin kung ano ‘yung pwede nating solution and matapos ‘yung bill,” he said.
At the same time, Gatchalian said preparations for the impeachment trial are already underway, particularly on logistics and security coordination.
The Senate has met with the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Pasay City government, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other agencies to ensure order during the proceedings.
He said space limitations inside the Senate remain one of the biggest challenges, given the number of participants expected in the trial.
“The biggest challenge is the logistics portion. Kasi maliit ang Senado eh. Ang pinaka-problema natin dito, space,” he said.
Gatchalian said both prosecution and defense teams will require separate rooms for meetings, documents, media coordination, and witness preparations, while senators and the public must also be accommodated in the constitutional proceedings.
Weekly security briefings will also be conducted with law enforcement agencies to monitor and adjust preparations as needed.
He stressed that the Senate will now operate on two parallel tracks—legislation and impeachment duties.
“Magiging dalawa ‘yung trabaho namin, impeachment and legislation,” he said.
Gatchalian added that while senators may disagree on certain measures, legislative debates must continue in committees and on the floor.
“Hindi man kami mag-agree on certain bills and resolutions, but at least napag-debatehan natin at napag-usapan natin,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Rappler
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