FALSE: SC joins forces with Cayetano to nullify legitimacy of Gatchalian Bloc’s authority

Philip Gabriel Caysido

A post circulating online claims that the Supreme Court has moved to nullify the legitimacy of the Gatchalian bloc’s authority, citing its joint alliances with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

CLAIM:

The post presents an alleged ‘online source’ claiming that the supposed 10 o’clock ‘18 ex-Marines’ expose against the Gatchalian Bloc was delayed upon Cayetano’s filing of a petition to challenge the legitimacy of Senator Win Gatchalian’s Senate presidency and the succeeding reorganization of the institution. 

Afterwards, the post concluded that the Supreme Court justices took action and joined forces with Cayetano in nullifying the authority of the Gatchalian Bloc, further dismantling their credibility after the Court supposedly recognized the information presented through the testimonies of the ‘18 ex-Marines’ in the announced flood control probe. 

RATING: FALSE

CONCLUSION: 

There is no official announcement made by the Supreme Court backing Cayetano’s petition to challenge the Senate presidency of Gatchalian and the reorganization of the institution. As the case remained pending before the High Tribunal, even after the leadership changes in the Senate with Gatchalian officially elected as Senate President in the June 17 special session, the institution’s reorganization continues to stand under its own internal rules. Since no official Blue Ribbon Committee hearing took place on the day Cayetano filed his 87-page petition, the Supreme Court has no legal basis to admit or consider those testimonies on the same day. 

THE FACTS:

• No Supreme Court ruling was released on its official website regarding Senator Cayetano’s petition, as the High Court publishes all its decisions on its official judicial website. 
• No Blue Ribbon Committee hearing regarding the flood control probe took place on the day of Cayetano’s filing of the 87-page Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition on the Supreme Court, as the Senate was under the authority of the Gatchalian bloc. 
• The unauthorized and off-site press conference held on June 16 at an events venue along EDSA was presided over by Former Congressman Michael “Mike” Defensor alongside 22 bodyguards of Former Congressman Zaldy Co. Although Mike Defensor states that the Cayetano bloc will organize its own flood-control probe outside the Senate, the senators from the bloc have not confirmed this.
• The Senate held a special session where Senator Gatchalian secured the 13th vote on the formal voting, following Senator Joel Villanueva’s shift to the majority bloc, which gave the Gatchalian bloc a clear constitutional majority.

THE BOTTOMLINE

The post falsely implies that the Supreme Court and Senator Cayetano have joined forces to nullify the legitimacy of the Gatchalian Bloc’s authority, which also claims that there is an official measure taken by the Supreme Court to back Cayetano’s petition solely based on a subsequent expose, and may deceive the public regarding the current status of the petition and the Court’s involvement in the flood control probe.