MANILA— Sen. Mark Villar formally joined the Senate majority bloc on Thursday after his colleagues elected him to the Commission on Appointments (CA) and as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Works.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri moved for Villar’s election to both positions, with no senator objecting.

“Yes. We just elected him to the CA and Public Works committee as part of the majority,” Zubiri said.

Villar took over the CA seat previously held by Zubiri and the Public Works committee chairmanship previously held by Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III.

His transfer to the majority came weeks after he voted to support an appeal of the Senate impeachment court’s July 6 ruling that set the conviction threshold in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at 16 votes, or two-thirds of the entire 24-member Senate.

Villar later voted with the majority in September when the impeachment court ruled that the constitutional reference to “all the Members of the Senate” for purposes of determining the two-thirds vote meant senators who are “capable of participating” in the proceedings when the vote is taken.

With Villar’s move, the Senate majority now has 14 members, while the minority has 10.

Four minority senators are currently not attending sessions: Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, who are detained over separate plunder cases; Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is in hiding amid an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court; and Loren Legarda, who has been on extended medical leave.

Villar’s sister, Sen. Camille Villar, remains with the minority bloc.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano announced that he would take over Legarda’s seat in the CA while she remains out of the country on medical leave.

The changes in the Senate composition came as the impeachment court continued proceedings on the third of four charges against Duterte.

The Senate impeachment court’s interpretation of the required conviction vote has also been challenged before the Supreme Court.

In September, the Supreme Court En Banc dismissed three petitions questioning the impeachment court’s Sept. 23 ruling on the two-thirds vote requirement. The petitions were filed by Victor D. Rodriguez, Berteni Cataluña Causing and lawyer Ernesto B. Francisco Jr.

The high court acted on the petitions during its En Banc session on Sept. 30, 2026.

The impeachment court had ruled that “all the Members of the Senate” under Article XI, Section 3(6) of the Constitution refers to senators who are legally and actually able to participate in the proceedings when the vote is taken.

Rodriguez argued that the ruling effectively amended the Constitution by adding a qualification not found in its text and sought its nullification, as well as a temporary restraining order against its implementation.

Causing argued that all sitting senators should be included in the count even if they were in hiding, detained or medically unable to attend. He also sought orders requiring Estrada, Marcoleta and dela Rosa to participate in the impeachment proceedings.

Francisco maintained that the 24-member Senate requires at least 16 senator-judges to concur for a conviction, arguing that senators who are detained, on medical leave or temporarily absent remain members of the chamber.

The Supreme Court dismissed all three petitions on procedural grounds, including lack of standing and prematurity.