Chapter Text
June 17, 2026
Wednesday
The Senate looked different at six o'clock in the morning.
Quieter.
Cleaner.
Almost... hopeful.
Sherwin Gatchalian's social media staffer stepped out of the elevator clutching two iced coffees, a camera battery tucked under one arm, and exactly three hours of sleep.
She yawned.
Then remembered what day it was.
Suddenly, she wasn't tired anymore.
She was buzzing.
It wasn't coffee.
It wasn't adrenaline.
It was history.
Today, after weeks of leadership disputes, emergency meetings, walkouts, and more political drama than any government institution should reasonably experience—
The Senate was finally moving forward.
Hopefully.
She unlocked the media office.
Turned on the lights.
Checked memory cards.
Charged batteries.
Prepared backup batteries for the backup batteries because her boss had an uncanny talent for making history at the exact moment a camera died.
By seven-thirty, the cameraman walked in carrying breakfast.
Without a word, he slid a warm pandesal onto her desk.
She looked up.
"You remembered."
"You forget to eat when you're stressed."
"...I hate that you're right."
He shrugged.
She adjusted her grip on her own cup, taking a quick sip before setting it down beside her equipment.
The cameraman glanced at it briefly, then went back to adjusting the tripod.
Neither of them said anything.
Outside, footsteps echoed through the hallway.
People were arriving earlier than usual.
Staff.
Security.
Protocol officers.
Everybody seemed to understand that this was no ordinary special session.
Sherwin arrived just before eight.
No fanfare.
No entourage.
Just a quiet "Good morning," to everyone he passed before disappearing into his office carrying a folder thicker than a law textbook.
The staffer watched him go.
He looked...
Calm.
Too calm.
She hated when he looked calm.
It usually meant he was overthinking something.
Or everything.
Twenty minutes later—
Another elevator opened.
Mama G.
Followed by one of Sherwin's nieces.
The staffer froze.
"...Ay."
The cameraman glanced over.
"What?"
She nodded subtly toward the visitors.
He followed her gaze.
"...Oh."
Neither of them said anything else.
They didn't have to.
Family did not attend routine special sessions.
Family attended milestones.
The realization settled over both of them at the same time.
Today wasn't merely procedural anymore.
Today...
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian would become the Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Officially.
The staffer swallowed.
She should have felt nothing but pride.
Instead—
Her emotions resembled a traffic jam.
Proud.
Excited.
Nervous.
Slightly emotional.
And—
If she was being completely honest—
Just a tiny bit resentful.
Because she already knew what this meant for her own life.
Her boss had technically been doing the job for days.
But titles mattered.
Official appointments mattered.
Being elected mattered.
Once the gavel became permanently his—
Her workday would never end before sunset again.
She mentally said goodbye to seeing Manila bathed in orange on her commute home.
Goodbye spontaneous dinner plans.
Goodbye weekday movie nights.
Goodbye having a boss who occasionally remembered offices were supposed to close.
She sighed dramatically.
"Congratulations, sir."
"...I hate you a little."
The cameraman let out a quiet laugh beside her.
A few minutes before nine—
She climbed toward the gallery overlooking the plenary.
The perfect angle.
Clear view of the rostrum.
No pillars blocking the frame.
She handed the cameraman a paper cup.
"Mainit pa."
He accepted it.
"Thanks."
"Decaf yan para hindi ka manginig mamaya."
He gave a small nod.
"Concerned ka lang pala sa footage."
"Exactly."
He didn't argue.
The senators remained inside the lounge.
She couldn't see them.
Only the occasionally opening door.
Muted voices.
Laughter.
Oddly enough—
It didn't sound tense.
Not after everything.
If anything...
It sounded lighter.
Like the hardest conversations had already happened.
She made one mistake.
She opened Twitter.
Immediately—
The timeline exploded.
WINRI SA SPECIAL SESSION
#AntiPoliticalDynasty
#WinRi
The Winners had apparently organized another Twitter party.
Exactly nine o'clock.
She genuinely admired the commitment.
These people worked harder than some campaign volunteers.
One post read—
PLEASE LORD BIGYAN NIYO KAMI NG ISANG CRUMB TODAY.
Another—
BAKA NAMAN MAGTINGINAN SILA KAHIT LIMANG SEGUNDO.
Another—
Ready na maghalukay ng clips.
She laughed.
Because she remembered those cameras.
Back when she had merely been an intern.
Back when the Senate believed blurry livestreams was enough transparency.
The fandom had somehow survived on pixelated glances.
Enhanced screenshots.
Zoomed-in 480p clips.
She scrolled further.
The mood had changed.
The excitement remained—
But underneath it...
Concern.
Feeling ko lulubog na WinRi.
June 8 pa lang ramdam mo nang umiiwas sila.
Sana okay pa sila.
She stared at the screen longer than she intended.
June 8.
The Blue Ribbon hearing.
She had noticed it too.
They barely looked at each other.
Professional.
Measured.
Almost...
Careful.
Apparently, that carefulness had reached the internet too.
She locked her phone.
Ridiculous.
The entire thing remained ridiculous.
And yet...
She found herself quietly hoping.
Not because of edits.
Not because of Twitter.
But because—
Somewhere between late-night video editing...
Watching her boss absentmindedly like yet another Senator Risa post...
Listening to him accidentally incriminate himself every other day...
She had started rooting for him too.
At exactly 9:09—
The lounge doors opened.
Conversation inside the gallery died instantly.
One by one—
The senators emerged.
Erwin Tulfo.
Migz Zubiri.
JV Ejercito.
Ping Lacson.
Lito Lapid.
Bam Aquino.
The staffer's camera tracked automatically.
Searching.
Searching.
There.
Senator Risa Hontiveros stepped through the doorway.
Sherwin followed just behind her.
She descended toward the plenary floor.
He veered left toward the rostrum.
Without realizing it—
The staffer's camera lens zoomed in.
Again.
She frowned at herself.
"When did I start doing that?"
The cameraman beside her said nothing.
Through the lens—
She caught it.
Sherwin's eyes.
Following Risa for the briefest second as she carefully stepped down toward her seat.
Then—
Almost as if sensing it—
Risa glanced back.
Just once.
Their eyes met.
No smiles.
No wave.
No words.
Barely a heartbeat.
Then both continued walking in opposite directions.
The staffer almost inhaled her own saliva.
"...What the hell?"
More senators entered.
Tito Sotto.
Kiko Pangilinan.
Raffy Tulfo.
Chiz Escudero appeared moments later.
Then—
Joel Villanueva.
The gallery somehow felt quieter.
The staffer counted instinctively.
One.
Two.
...
Thirteen.
Finally.
Thirteen.
Sherwin settled into the presiding officer's chair.
He didn't look triumphant.
If anything—
He looked...
Relieved.
Like someone who had finally reached shore after weeks of swimming against the current.
He stood.
Lifted the gavel.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
"Pursuant to Proclamation No. 1318 issued by President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., the first session of the Senate in the First Special Session of the Twentieth Congress is hereby called to order."
Thud.
A minute of silent prayer followed.
The staffer bowed her head.
Looking around—
It occurred to her...
Perhaps everyone needed that minute.
Roll call began.
One by one—
Names echoed through the chamber.
"Present."
"Present."
"Present."
Then—
Silence.
Absent.
Absent.
Absent.
She found herself mentally rolling her eyes every time another senator failed to answer.
These were elected officials.
Public servants.
Showing up should have been the minimum requirement.
A regular employee would've received a warning.
Maybe suspension.
Here—
Attendance itself had become political theater.
Finally—
Sherwin looked up.
"With thirteen senators present, the Chair declares the presence of a quorum."
Thud.
The words echoed with surprising weight.
Majority Floor Leader Migz Zubiri stood.
"Mr. President..."
Sherwin already looked like he knew what was coming.
"I rise today to nominate Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian as President of the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines."
No objections.
Migz smiled.
Then began speaking.
He praised Sherwin's patience.
His steadiness.
His willingness to hold the institution together while everyone else argued over procedure.
The staffer listened proudly.
Until—
"...Siya nga po palagi ang nagsasara ng Senado."
Migz looked toward the gallery.
Toward her.
Specifically toward her.
Oh no.
"...Staying late in his office even after adjournment."
No.
No, no, no.
"As a matter of fact, Mr. President..."
Migz grinned wider.
"...I hear complaints from your staff na hindi na sila nakaka-uwi ng disenteng oras dahil overworked daw sila."
The entire chamber laughed.
The staffer physically closed her eyes.
She knew exactly where he'd heard that.
Three nights earlier.
Elevator lobby.
Eight in the evening.
She and the cameraman had been forced to cancel dinner.
Again.
She'd complained—
Very loudly—
That her boss treated overtime like a personality trait.
That maybe if somebody found Senator Sherwin Gatchalian a girlfriend—
He would finally remember other people had lives too.
Neither of them had realized Senator Migz Zubiri had been standing directly behind them waiting for the same elevator.
She had nearly dragged the cameraman down six flights of stairs out of embarrassment.
Apparently—
Migz remembered.
Unfortunately.
He wasn't finished.
"...At palagi nilang tinatanong sa akin..."
He looked directly at Sherwin now.
"...Kailan ko raw siya maihahanapan ng girlfriend para makauwi raw sila nang mas maaga."
The chamber erupted.
Even the senators laughed.
Ping Lacson shook his head.
JV covered his face.
Sherwin pinched the bridge of his nose.
The staffer wanted the Senate building to collapse specifically on top of Gallery Row.
Not enough to hurt anyone.
Just enough to hide her forever.
Migz chuckled before delivering his final line.
"I plead..."
"...let us elect Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President."
"...and let's all get back to work."
The laughter softened into applause.
The vote was called.
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Aye."
One after another.
Thirteen voices.
No objections.
No abstentions.
No drama.
When the final tally was announced—
The chamber rose in applause.
Sherwin stood.
Just for a second—
He looked almost overwhelmed.
Not because he had won.
Because the fighting was finally over.
After weeks of uncertainty...
The Senate had a President again.
Sherwin Ting Gatchalian had officially been elected Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines.