Sen. Joel Villanueva —File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Joel Villanueva said on Sunday that he would attend a special session of Congress should President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convene one, a move that could prove decisive in resolving the Senate leadership impasse by providing the crucial 13th vote needed to formally elect Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate president.
“In the event a special session is called, we will fulfill our sacred duty under our Constitution. We will be there,” Villanueva said in a recorded message aired during the Sunday service of the evangelical group Jesus Is Lord (JIL) Church Worldwide.
His statement immediately fueled speculation on social media that he could join the 12-member majority bloc now aligned with Gatchalian, who was elected as Senate president pro tempore and is serving as acting Senate president since the June 3 leadership shake-up against Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
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