Villanueva Vows Attendance in Upcoming Special Senate
Session Amidst Leadership Deadlock

by JD

Senator Joel Villanueva announced on Sunday, June 14, that he will attend the upcoming
special Senate session called by Malacañang. His decision comes just before President
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially issued Proclamation No. 1318 on Monday, June 15, ordering both
chambers of Congress to convene on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

The President called for the special session under Section 15, Article VI of the 1987
Constitution, which allows the chief executive to call Congress to assemble at any time to
address urgent legislative concerns. President Marcos emphasized that the immediate
convergence of lawmakers is necessary to tackle pending priority measures focused on social
protection, healthcare, and education.

Furthermore, the session aims to secure urgent government interventions, including
supplemental funding for recovery and rehabilitation efforts in regions heavily impacted by the
recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao.

The special session was called during a prolonged leadership impasse within the upper
chamber. The Senate has been gridlocked since a sudden political shake-up on June 3, when a
new 12-member majority bloc declared leadership seats vacant and elected Senator Sherwin
Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Senate President. This development
came after the ousting of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, whose bloc disputed the legitimacy of
the proceedings and subsequently boycotted the final three plenary sessions leading up to the
Senate’s sine die adjournment on June 6.

Because Villanueva has historically been aligned with the Cayetano bloc, political observers
have raised intense speculation regarding whether his attendance signals a shift in alignment.
As the Gatchalian faction currently commands exactly 12 members, Villanueva’s presence
would provide the crucial 13th member needed to establish a functional quorum and potentially
secure the required majority vote to permanently resolve the contested Senate presidency.
In a video message addressed to the Jesus Is Lord (JIL) Church Worldwide, Villanueva sought
to clarify his stance amid the ongoing institutional friction.

“Some have been circulating various social media posts and speculations about us, and it
seems we are being deliberately placed between two clashing forces. This is not the time to
take sides,” the senator stated.

Villanueva emphasized that his decision to participate is rooted in his constitutional mandate,
declaring that Senate staff and ordinary Filipinos should not become collateral damage to the
upper chamber’s internal friction. “The Senate staff should not be caught in the middle of the
fight,” He added.

If the special session proceeds on Wednesday, the chamber can finally proceed with handling
pressing national issues rather than political disputes. Beyond securing critical disaster relief
funds for Mindanao, Villanueva’s legislative priorities include advancing stalled social protection
measures, such as the proposed National Center for Geriatric Health Act, the Assistance to
Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Act, and key amendments to the Universal Access to
Quality Tertiary Education Act.

Additionally, the special session will allow the Commission on Appointments (CA) to process
and approve long-delayed promotions and appointments within the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and various Cabinet positions that
were left unaddressed due to the leadership deadlock.

While Villanueva has kept silent on which faction he will officially support for the permanent
leadership post, his commitment to showing up ensures a path forward for legislative
operations. Former Senator Panfilo Lacson publicly commended Villanueva’s decision, praising
his commitment to institutional duty over political infighting and expressing hope that other
members of the boycotting faction would similarly return to the chamber.