By CESAR JOLITO III

Deputy Speaker and Bacolod Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez believes the Supreme Court (SC) is the only institution capable of bringing a definitive end to the ongoing leadership impasse in the Senate, with both rival factions maintaining that their respective actions are legal and legitimate.

Benitez said the competing groups led by Senators Win Gatchalian and Allan Peter Cayetano continue to assert their authority to lead the upper chamber, creating a deadlock that, in his view, can only be resolved through a final judicial ruling.

One of the options being considered to break the stalemate is for President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to convene a special session that would require all senators to attend and address the leadership dispute.

Benitez said if such a session is held and a quorum is established, the Gatchalian-led bloc currently has the numerical advantage. He added that the continued absence of senators aligned with the Cayetano faction reflects the reality that they do not have enough members to independently establish a quorum.

Drawing from the rules of the House of Representatives, Benitez explained that quorum in the lower chamber is determined by the presence of at least 12 members, noting that the interpretation being debated in the Senate differs from House practice.

As the leadership standoff continues, Benitez echoed the view of legal experts and lawmakers that the SC is the only body with the authority to determine which faction holds the legitimate mandate to steer the Senate forward and restore normal legislative operations./CCJ, WDJ