MANILA, Philippines — On Monday, the minority bloc in the Senate accused the majority senators of staging a boycott of the plenary session after the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, saying the absence disrupted scheduled legislative work and challenged institutional accountability, while Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano defended the move as a matter of Senate independence.
The 11-member minority bloc, also known as the Solid Bloc-11, said all minority senators waited for two hours for the 5 p.m. session, but no plenary opened after all majority senators failed to appear.
The minority said the absence of the majority constituted a boycott rather than a principled stand for institutional independence.
“The claim that this is about Senate independence is false,” the minority bloc said in a joint statement. “This is a boycott because of the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.”
Jinggoy Estrada surrendered to authorities earlier on Monday after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for his arrest in a plunder case tied to alleged flood control project anomalies. The case was filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The minority bloc said the Senate should not treat the arrest as an attack on the institution and should instead proceed with its legislative agenda. They said public accountability and legal processes should not be undermined by political divisions.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano urged the minority to join the majority in what he described as a pause to defend Senate independence. He also said the situation tested the institution’s autonomy amid the enforcement of court orders.
Before the plenary, Estrada appeared at the Senate with Cayetano and several majority senators, including Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Camille Villar, and Mark Villar.
The minority bloc said the absence of the majority halted Senate work and delayed consideration of pending measures, including health, detention, citizenship, and appointments bills. It also said the leadership failed to formally notify the minority about the cancellation of the session.
The majority bloc has not issued a detailed explanation for its absence from the plenary at the time of reporting.
The dispute comes as the Senate faces a narrowing composition, with Estrada under detention and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa absent following legal developments involving an International Criminal Court-related warrant.
Ronald dela Rosa has not attended recent sessions, further affecting the balance of attendance between blocs.
The Senate is scheduled to continue sessions until June 5, with its final plenary sitting set for June 3 before the adjournment of the current Congress.
