For weeks, the Senate became less of the country’s highest legislative chamber and more of a battlefield. Countless leadership shakeups, alliance disputes, and competing claims to authority turned the plenary into a venue of uncertainty. Amidst the pressing issues plaguing the country, the institution itself seems to be trapped in its own turmoil.

Now, with a new Senate President elected and a new majority bloc formed–the whirlwind of political theatrics seemed to have subsided. After weeks of instability, the Upper House is finally given a chance to get back to work.

Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian became the fourth Senate President of the 20th Congress after establishing a quorum of 13 and gaining enough votes during the chamber’s special session on Wednesday, June 17. This shakeup marked former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano as the second shortest-serving Senate President in Philippine history, with his term lasting only 37 days. In addition to this, the new majority bloc–with Senator Joel Villanueva as its newest member–reassigned committee leaderships in line with the appointment of the new Senate President.

After months of paralysis and infighting, the Senate now has an opportunity to return to its legitimate mandate.

It can be recalled that Cayetano’s leadership was filled with controversies and disputes. Following his election on May 11, the Senate halls have been in a state of disarray, and since Jinggoy’s arrest on June 1, Cayetano’s then majority bloc refused to attend plenary sessions–aside from the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on June 4–before a new leader has finally been elected. For those excruciatingly long days, legislative processes have been stalled and important matters were left unattended.

Some of the key bills that were stalled according to the reports of Philippine News Agency (PNA) include the Magna Carta of Barangay Health workers, the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, the confirmation of generals before the Commission on Appointments, and bills granting Philippine citizenship to Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos. With a settled leadership, committees and plenary sessions can function normally again and attend to these procedures that were previously halted.

And the Senate wasted no time in doing so.

A few hours after the appointment of Gatchalian, the Commission on Appointments (CA) finally convened and confirmed the promotion of the five Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) generals and flag officers and 85 Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials. Moreover, House Bills No. 6639 and 6644, which grants citizenship to Boatwright III and Ramos were finally approved on third reading along with other priority bills.

Aside from what has already been accomplished, the Senators can finally attend to discontinued hearings prior to the leadership shakeup. For instance, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan can finally push through with the formerly suspended hearing with Benguet farmers to discuss their realities amidst oil prices hike. Senators can also now resume investigations such as the Blue Ribbon Committee’s flood control probe without the confusion brought about by competing or parallel hearings–providing the public with clearer information and a more coherent account of the issues under investigation.

This unified process not only minimizes public confusion but also strengthens institutional credibility that was once undermined by various controversies inside Senate halls.

Perhaps the most consequential outcome of the new leadership is the Senate’s renewed capacity to move forward with Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial in a more impartial setting, after it had been delayed by leadership disputes. It can be recalled that one of the worries of many critics when Cayetano was elected Senate President was its possible influence on Duterte’s incoming impeachment trial. His prior political alliance with former President Rodrigo Duterte, including serving as his former running mate and his campaign for the former president’s interim release, gave rise to the perceptions that his Senate leadership could be influenced by ties to the Duterte family.

However, with Gatchalian as his replacement, there is renewed hope that the Senate can fulfill its role as an impartial institution committed to justice as the impeachment court convenes on July 6.

With everything in place and a new leader in charge, Filipinos may finally have a reason to believe that the Senate can return to what it is meant to be: a chamber for legislation and accountability, not a stage for political maneuvering. After weeks of losing hope to our legislative institutions, perhaps this is finally the time to gain trust once again.

However, a new majority is not automatically a better one. While plenty of us may approve of the changes made, citizens must still remain vigilant to ensure that today’s promise of stability does not become tomorrow’s complacency. Now that circus-like atmosphere has subsided, the challenge is to ensure that the institution never loses sight of the people it was elected to serve.

The Frontman