Eleven members of the Senate Minority Bloc have called on Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to resign, citing what they described as a failure in leadership following another day without a Senate session.
On June 2, members of the Senate Majority Bloc again did not attend, resulting in the cancellation of the day’s proceedings.
Senator Erwin Tulfo said the Senate’s work should not be halted simply because the presiding officer, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, was absent. He stressed that a session may only be postponed after consultation with both the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader.
According to Tulfo, Cayetano’s actions constituted a clear violation of Senate rules.
Reading a joint statement from the 11-member minority bloc, Tulfo said, “Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano should resign as he has shown that he can not function as the leader of the Senate anymore.”
The minority senators also pointed to several measures that were scheduled for discussion but failed to advance because of the lack of a session. These included the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, and other agriculture-related proposals.
Senator Migz Zubiri said senators are paid by the public to work, pass laws, and attend sessions. Senator Win Gatchalian added that the Senate spends millions of pesos daily on utilities and personnel expenses, saying public funds were wasted because no session took place.
The stalled proceedings also delayed the confirmation of several military generals.
Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo said the situation arose because of the arrest of their colleague, Senator Jinggoy Estrada. He challenged Cayetano to address the issues directly and engage in debate instead of discussing them through Facebook Live broadcasts.
Senator Risa Hontiveros also rejected Cayetano’s allegation that minority senators were blocking hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Other members of the minority bloc likewise disputed the claim.
