MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Wednesday suspended its ninth public hearing on the flood control scandal, originally scheduled for June 4, following directives issued by acting Senate leader Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian amid an ongoing dispute over Senate leadership.
The committee, now chaired by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, announced that the hearing was suspended until further notice.
The suspension came after Gatchalian, who was elected Senate President Pro Tempore and designated acting Senate President during Wednesday’s session, declared that there would be no official Senate business on June 4 and authorized Senate employees to work from home.
Gatchalian said the move aimed to preserve the neutrality of the Senate bureaucracy and allow Senate personnel to recover from recent developments in the chamber.
The order conflicted with an earlier memorandum issued by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who continues to maintain that he remains the legitimate Senate President. Cayetano directed that all scheduled hearings under his leadership, including the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, proceed as planned.
Cayetano also said he intended to be at the Senate before 10 a.m. on Thursday to ensure that the session hall would be opened for the committee hearing.
The conflicting directives stem from the Senate reorganization approved during Wednesday’s plenary session. A bloc composed of former minority senators and Sen. Francis Escudero declared Senate leadership positions vacant and elected Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate President.
As part of the reorganization, Tulfo replaced Sen. Pia Cayetano as chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
Senators aligned with Cayetano have rejected the reorganization and continue to challenge its validity. They argue that the 1987 Philippine Constitution and Senate rules require the votes of at least 13 senators to approve such changes.
Gatchalian has defended the proceedings, saying the Senate needed to convene after scheduled sessions on Monday and Tuesday failed to take place. He said continued inaction risked violating Article VI, Section 16(5) of the Constitution, which prohibits either chamber of Congress from adjourning for more than three days during a session without the consent of the other chamber.
He also cited the Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco to support his position that the presence of 12 senators constituted a valid quorum based on an effective Senate membership of 22.
According to Gatchalian, the number excludes Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is under detention on plunder charges, and Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who remains out of public view while facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
The suspension leaves the future schedule of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s flood control investigation uncertain as the dispute over Senate leadership continues.
