Philippine Senate president allied with Duterte removed ahead of his daughter's impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A leadership standoff in the Philippine Senate ended Wednesday with the removal of an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte as leader of the chamber, which will soon start the impeachment trial of his daughter, incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte.

With 13 of 24 senators backing him, Sherwin Gatchalian, an ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was elected Senate president. His rival, Alan Peter Cayetano, a key supporter of Duterte, conceded defeat.

Both had claimed leadership of the Senate in the last two weeks based on contrasting legal interpretations of the quorum that led to their elections. An allied senator of Cayetano, however, defected Wednesday and gave his rivals' bloc a clear majority.

“It’s a relief,” Jean Franco, a political professor at the state-run University of the Philippines said, but added that the country’s democracy, “with its weak and fragile institutions,” faces more headwinds.

The Senate infighting has been perceived as being swayed by the long-running political disputes between Marcos and Vice President Duterte. The country's top two leaders were once allies but had a bitter falling out in a high-profile dispute that reflects the divisions and turbulent politics long plaguing the Asian democracy.

The vice president has blamed Marcos for the arrest of her father, Rodrigo Duterte, and his handover to the International Criminal Court in The Hague last year. The detained former president is scheduled to be tried by the global court starting in November for alleged crimes against humanity.

The charges stem from his brutal anti-drugs crackdowns, which left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead while he was in office. He has denied authorizing extra-judicial killings.

Cayetano captured the Senate presidency on May 11 after his Senate faction attained a slim majority when Sen. Ronald dela Rosa suddenly reappeared to support him after months of hiding.

Dela Rosa once served as Rodrigo Duterte’s national police chief and has been named by the ICC as a co-perpetrator of the former president in the widespread killings of drug suspects. After the ICC unsealed a warrant for dela Rosa's arrest on May 11, he went back into hiding and remains at large.

Another Cayetano ally, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, was arrested and jailed on June 1 after being indicted on a plunder charge. He was accused of receiving huge kickbacks from a flood control project, a charge that he denies.

Control over the Senate is crucial. It’s expected to start the trial in July of the vice president, who was impeached by the House of Representatives last month over criminal charges, including unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to have Marcos assassinated.

The House is dominated by Marcos' allies. The vice president denies the allegations, which her supporters say were fabricated to prevent her from pursuing an announced plan to seek the presidency when Marcos’ six-year term ends in 2028.

New Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian bangs the gavel during a special session at the Philippine Senate in Pasay city, Philippines on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Senator Miguel Zubiri, left, speaks during a special session at the Philippine Senate in Pasay city, Philippines on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Senator Joel Villanueva, left, reacts as he talks with Senator Sherwin Gatchalian at the Philippine Senate in Pasay city, Philippines on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

New Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian talks during a special session at the Philippine Senate in Pasay city, Philippines on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

New Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, third from left, takes his oath during a special session at the Philippine Senate in Pasay city, Philippines on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — The leaders of the world’s richest democracies are talking about how to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems this week, but hot mics at the G7 summit revealed that conversations also covered lighter fare. Sports. Cigarettes. The weather. And something about Greenland?

As world leaders made their way into conference rooms at a lakeside resort, microphones set up for their weighty discussions about war and trade often caught off-the-cuff banter.

Trump strode in late to the final day of talks, and proclaimed “I'm the boss!” to his counterparts sitting around a large oval conference table, waiting to get started on a discussion about concerns that China is flooding export markets with subsidized products. The leaders laughed.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’ s smoking habits were the subject of a hot-mic moment on Tuesday. Asked by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz if she had already had a cigarette that morning, Meloni revealed that she hadn’t smoked “since the first of May.”

Her turn against tobacco prompted enthusiastic congratulations from leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan and the European Union. Meloni raised her hands in celebration. Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had a question for her.

“Do you have a patch?” Carney asked, grabbing his own arm.

With the World Cup underway in the United States, Mexico and Canada, soccer naturally became a fallback of discussion.

As leaders gathered for lunch on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron and others weighed in. Someone shouted “Allez les bleus,” the cheer for the French team. Another leader can be heard talking about the recent Champions League victory by Paris-Saint Germain.

U.S. President Donald Trump turned attention to the UFC cage-match event he hosted at the White House on Sunday. Trump, who sat ringside on his 80th birthday, spoke glowingly about Dana White, the CEO of UFC.

At another point on Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer effused about Cape Verde’s surprise 0-0 draw against World Cup champion Spain. “Quite remarkable, I have to say,” he said.

In a moment of intrigue, Trump was caught on microphone talking with European Council President António Costa.

“You understand?” Trump said before pausing and looking squarely at Costa. “Greenland.” The start and end of the conversation was unclear.

European politicians have been outraged by Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.

Trump added some levity after Macron appeared to have left his watch behind when he departed the group’s working lunch on Tuesday. Carney drew attention to it, saying, “He’s left his watch here. We’ve got his watch.”

“Give me it if he left, gimme,” Trump chimed in, drawing laughs from the group.

There were a few instances of gift-giving diplomacy.

Macron gave all seven of his counterparts personalized bicycles to promote the Cycling World Championships scheduled next year in the French Alps, according to David Lappartient, president of the Union Cycliste Internationale, on social media.

There was no hot mic moment to detect the reaction of Trump, who is not known to bike and has joked about doing minimal exercise beyond regular golf outings.

Merz, who recently sparred with Trump over the war in Iran, presented Trump with a German national team soccer jersey bearing Trump’s name and the number 47. Trump raised it and smiled for a photo before setting it aside.

Merz posted a photo of the exchange on social media and offered a pointed message: “After all, we’re on the same team.”

Binkley reported from Washington and Superville from Geneva. Associated Press writer Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report.

French President Emmanuel Macron stands next to President Donald Trump, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, at a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Christian Hartmann/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump listens to European Council President Antonio Costa, left, at a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Christian Hartmann/Pool Photo via AP)

President Donald Trump, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Council President Antonio Costa and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attend a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Christian Hartmann/Pool Photo via AP)

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East, in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. President Donald Trump, right, holds up a jersey with the number 47 on it as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz look on during a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)