MANILA, Philippines — Senators from the minority bloc called on Tuesday for the resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano after the majority bloc failed to attend plenary sessions for a second consecutive day, preventing the Senate from holding a quorum.
The minority senators issued the call after Cayetano announced via Facebook Live that he and members of the majority bloc would not attend plenary sessions. The majority bloc later said it skipped the sessions to protect the integrity of ongoing Senate investigations involving allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds.
The majority bloc also said the issue was not the Senate presidency but whether ongoing investigations would continue without interruption or political interference.
On Monday, the majority bloc also failed to attend the plenary following the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, which reduced its numbers to 11 members and placed it in a virtual tie with the minority bloc.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the minority senators said the absences constituted a “dereliction of duty” and called on Cayetano to resign, saying he could no longer effectively lead the chamber.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo said the Senate president violated Senate rules by failing to properly consult on the postponement of sessions. He said the Senate president may only postpone sessions after consultation with the Majority Leader and Minority Leader.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo challenged Cayetano to attend the next plenary session, while Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sen. JV Ejercito, and Sen. Panfilo Lacson urged majority senators to return to session and resume legislative work.
The minority bloc said the Senate presidency should not be used to block legislative proceedings and said senators have a duty to attend sessions.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the Senate should continue its work and rejected claims that the minority bloc was preventing committee hearings.
The leadership standoff delayed plenary work, including the confirmation of Armed Forces of the Philippines officers and the approval of pending bills.
The AFP confirmed that five generals are awaiting confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.