Newly-elected Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called on senators to set aside their political differences and unite in addressing the country’s most pressing challenges, as he formally assumed the Senate’s top post on Wednesday.
In his inaugural speech, Gatchalian expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their trust and vowed to lead the chamber with humility, cooperation, and a strong sense of responsibility.
“Una sa lahat, taus-puso akong nagpapasalamat sa aking mga kapwa senador sa tiwalang inyong ipinagkaloob. Tinatanggap ko ang tungkuling ito nang may buong kababaang-loob at malinaw na pagkaunawa sa bigat ng responsibilidad na kaakibat nito,” Gatchalian said.
The new Senate chief stressed that the position is not about any single individual but about protecting an institution that serves the Filipino people.
“Ang tungkuling ito ay hindi tungkol sa iisang tao, kundi sa pangangalaga sa isang institusyong dapat magsilbi sa bawat Pilipino,” he said.
Gatchalian acknowledged the growing concerns of Filipinos, citing rising fuel and commodity prices, the impact of the recent Mindanao earthquake, the threat of a Super El Niño, and other national issues requiring urgent government action.
“Patid ng buong Senado, ang panawagan ng mamamayan ay magtrabaho ang lehislatura, tugunan ang mga suliraning kinakaharap ng ating bansa, at unahin ang tunay at agarang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” he said. “Naririnig namin kayo.”
Calling for cooperation among both majority and minority lawmakers, Gatchalian urged senators to focus on public service and legislative solutions.
“Kaya ngayong araw, nananawagan ako sa lahat ng aking kasamahan sa Senado, mayorya man o minorya, na magsimula tayo muli, magkaisa sa paglilingkod at harapin nang sama-sama ang mga hamon ng ating bansa,” he said.
“Maaaring magkaiba ang ating mga pananaw, ngunit iisa ang ating misyon—ipagtanggol ang batas at maglingkod sa bayan.”
Gatchalian concluded by pledging that the Senate under his leadership would remain open to dialogue and focused on delivering results for the public.
“Ang nais natin ay isang Senado para sa tao, isang Senado na bukas sa pakikipag-usap, isang Senado na nakatuon sa solusyon. Sa bawat Pilipino, ito ang aming pangako. Magtatrabaho ang buong Senado para sa inyo,” he said.
Gatchalian was elected Senate President during a special session on June 17, succeeding former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano after weeks of leadership tensions within the chamber.
