Senate Session Fails to Meet Quorum as Cayetano Majority Boycotts June 1 Sitting

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s 11-person majority boycotted the June 1 Senate session. The 11-person minority remained on the plenary floor without air-conditioning or internet. Cayetano rose to power weeks before June 2 after a slim majority of 13 senators ousted Tito Sotto.

Since then he has lost two members: Bato dela Rosa, who has an active International Criminal Court warrant, escaped Senate protective custody and is now in hiding; Jinggoy Estrada was taken into police custody after the Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant over his plunder case.

Cayetano cannot gather a simple majority or build a quorum. The 11-person minority is courting senators from the majority to jump ship.

The same tactic appeared in October 2020 when Cayetano was House Speaker. His part of a term-sharing deal with Lord Allan Velasco had ended, yet he did not want to step down and used the budget bill as an excuse. Velasco had the numbers to unseat him.

The Cayetano-led House stripped utilities from the Batasan plenary hall. The hall was padlocked, electricity was cut off, and Wi-Fi was made inaccessible. Velasco and his allies held a session at Celebrity Sports Plaza that installed Velasco as the new House Speaker.

Rappler reported the June 1 events and the 2020 precedent.