ASEAEWS HEADLINE- | MANILA: Senate minority bloc to Cayetano: Resign!
STILL A NO-SHOW Eleven senators belonging to the minority bloc gather at the Senate plenary hall on Tuesday afternoon to attend their regular session. No session, however, was held as they failed to reach a quorum with their majority colleagues still absent for the second consecutive day. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
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WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMbs_EArPNs
FULL: Senate minority calls for Cayetano resignation as gridlock continues | ANC
ANC Live: Members of the Senate minority issue a statement after senators from the majority bloc skipped a scheduled session for the second straight day on Tuesday, Jun
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MANILA, Philippines — Senators of the minority bloc called on Tuesday for the resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, saying he could “no longer function” as the chamber’s leader following the majority bloc’s absence from the Senate plenary session for the second consecutive day.
Cayetano had announced earlier on Tuesday via Facebook Live that he and his majority colleagues would not be attending the plenary sessions. The majority then released a statement saying their decision not to show up and provide a quorum for plenary sessions was intended to protect the integrity of ongoing Senate investigations amid recent developments.
The issue, they added, is not the Senate presidency but whether ongoing investigations, particularly those involving allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds, would be allowed to continue without interruption or political interference.
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READ: Keep status quo in Senate; Cayetano can be ‘lame duck’ leader – analyst
The majority had earlier failed to show up on Monday in the wake of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest, which reduced the majority bloc from 12 to 11 members, in a virtual tie with the minority.
‘Dereliction of duty’
Following the majority’s absence for the second day, minority senators read a joint statement during a press briefing about an hour after the session was supposed to have started at 3 p.m., where they slammed their colleagues’ absence and called for Cayetano to step down from his post.
READ: Pangilinan: Events under Cayetano’s leadership show ‘impunity’
“What happened today was a clear abandonment of responsibility, a dereliction of duty, and a blatant disregard of the rules that govern this institution, because the Senate cannot be made to stop working simply because its presiding officer refuses to lead,” said the minority senators.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who read the statement, cited Rule XIV, Sec. 41 of the Rules of the Senate, saying the Senate President may postpone the holding of the session after consultation with the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader.
“That rule was violated. This is not merely a procedural lapse—it is a direct violation of the Rules of the Senate and a serious disrespect for the institution and the Filipino people,” the minority senators said.
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“Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano should resign as he has shown that he cannot function as the leader of the Senate,” they added.
‘A coward’
Sen. Raffy Tulfo didn’t mince words as he challenged Cayetano to attend the next plenary session and put an end to the majority group’s boycott.
Under the approved legislative calendar, Congress is set to adjourn sine die on Friday, June 5. Its last session day will be today. Congress will resume session in July.
“If you’re brave, show up tomorrow (Wednesday). Otherwise, you’re a coward,” Tulfo said, addressing Cayetano.
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“What hurts. is that instead of coming here, SP Alan comes to work through Facebook. This is where he should be speaking. This is where he should be debating what he wants to do, not on social media,” he added.
Lacson, along with Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and JV Ejercito, also called on their colleagues from the majority to attend the plenary.
“We appeal to all our colleagues: They should attend the session, it is our duty. We are being paid by the people to work, to legislate, and not to be absent,” said Zubiri.
“My appeal to our colleagues—the Senate has reached rock-bottom, our institution … If we still have love, let’s not allow it to be completely destroyed. There is still a chance. Let’s rise up and restore its dignity. Let’s bring back the respect for the Senate,” said Ejercito.
He added that by Senate rules, they should be working, including holding sessions at 3 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Lacson said the minority group will be present today “because that’s our duty.”
“We appeal to the rest of the majority bloc to attend the Senate session Wednesday out of a sense of duty. We’re not appealing to the Senate President anymore since his situation has become untenable, as he discourages other senators from attending the session,” he said.
“The Senate presidency is the only thing being protected. Power. Position. So we appeal to our colleagues in the majority. What is the prize for you? We don’t think there’s any. And we believe the majority members are only going along with Senate President Cayetano,” added Lacson.
Why ‘go quiet’?
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also pushed back at the majority’s contention that the minority bloc was preventing committee work.
Cayetano, who said minority senators had planned to remove committees from the “legitimate” majority, described the majority bloc’s absence in the session as a parliamentary tool to ensure that the Senate blue ribbon committee’s investigation into the flood control scandal pushes through on Thursday.
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“That’s abuse of the parliamentary rules of the Senate he was referring to. We are not preventing any committee hearing from continuing as long as it is done in the proper manner,” she said.
She also criticized Cayetano’s earlier appeal for the chamber to “go quiet,” saying: “The Senate should be the voice of the people.”
“Why would he want the Senate to be silenced? If he wants to silence it, if he doesn’t want the voice of the Senate to be heard, then he is really not fit to lead,” Hontiveros said.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan added: “With the many Senate rules being violated, it’s actually impunity masquerading as assertion of the Senate as an independent institution.”
Waste of people’s money
Due to the Senate gridlock, the confirmation of five generals in the Armed Forces of the Philippines has been held up, the AFP confirmed.
Despite the leadership change on May 11 that saw Cayetano become the new Senate President, no senators had been elected as members of the Commission on Appointments (CA), which is assigned to confirm the appointments of the AFP officers.
On Monday, amid the absence of the Senate majority, Zubiri lamented that “there are generals that are up for promotion… After their 30-plus years of service, they can’t be promoted one rank higher because we cannot meet as the CA.”
In a text message to the Inquirer, Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, AFP spokesperson, confirmed that five generals are awaiting confirmation at the CA.
Still, Padilla said the AFP “respects the constitutional process and the mandate of the Commission on Appointments.”
Apart from the confirmation of generals, two naturalization bills are awaiting approval on third and final reading.
These include House Bill Nos. 6639 and 6644, granting Philippine citizenship to basketball athlete Bennie Francois Boatwright III and wrestler Matthew Hames Ramos.
Senate Bill No. 2092, which seeks to declare the “waling-waling” as the national orchid of the Philippines, is also at bay for approval on third reading.
On top of these legislative delays, taxpayers were also losing P25 million for each day that Senate sessions were not being held, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
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“Every day, the Senate spends P25 million on electricity, utilities, and salaries, yet no session is being held. No laws are being approved. No resolutions are being approved. Even the confirmation of our military personnel remains pending. The people’s money is being wasted,” Gatchalian said. /cb
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