'Boycott of duty': Senate minority slams majority’s absence from plenary session

"Let us focus on the work, because the Senate has serious business before it, and if the majority wants to protest, deliver privilege speeches, or defend its position, the proper place to do that is on the floor, not by making the chamber stand still," the minority said.

"Ang Senado ay hindi pag-aari ng iisang may hawak ng gavel. Institusyon ito ng taumbayan at napakadaming mahalagang panukala ang nabibinbin dahil sa drama ng mayorya."

The minority senators noted that several important measures were not tackled due to the majority's absence. This includes the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, the confirmation of generals before the Commission on Appointments, and the bills granting Philippine citizenship to athletes Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos.

"Let us call this for what it is: the claim that this is about Senate independence is false, because what happened today was about the rule of law, public accountability and a lawful process before the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan that no senator, no bloc and no presiding officer controls," the group said.

They continued, "This is a boycott because of the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and the public should not be asked to believe another convenient line from a leadership that has repeatedly twisted the truth."

The minority senators then pondered whether Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano was questioning the rule of law.

"Sa totoo lang, ang gusto nila ay kampihan, hindi prinsipyo. Gusto nila sumama kami sa boycott, patahimikin ang Senado at gamitin ang minority para manatili ang Senate President sa puwesto habang iniiwasan ang tunay na test of numbers sa floor," they said.

They further noted that work in the Senate was only suspended during typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic previously, "not because the leadership chose a boycott of duty."

"The public has every right to ask whether SP Cayetano is repeating what he did in the House of Representatives, when questions were raised about a leader refusing to step aside, refusing to convene and holding up proceedings when the numbers were no longer certain," they added.

The minority urged the majority to return to work as "no political drama can erase the basic duty of senators to show up, follow the law, and serve the people."

The Senate was supposed to convene on June 1 to resume discussions on various measures, including amendments to the rules on electronic voting.

However, by 5:00 p.m. up until past 7:00 p.m., all members of the majority bloc were nowhere to be seen.

The minority could not convene the session, as they needed the Senate President and a quorum of 13 members.

To recall, the session on May 26 was suspended after the minority walked out over the majority insisting on discussing amendments that would allow senators to participate in proceedings remotely without being physically present. Twelve senators were left on the floor, and the session was adjourned.

Cayetano, in a letter posted to Facebook, urged the minority to "let the Senate go quiet" as its independence "is being tested."

The majority's absence comes as Estrada voluntarily surrendered himself to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued a warrant of arrest against him for a non-bailable plunder case.

He is being sued by the Office of the Ombudsman over his alleged involvement in the flood control scandal. Estrada had supposedly maneuvered allocations, rigged public bidding processes, and siphoned government funds stemming from major national infrastructure budget systems.

Estrada, who denied allegations, will be committed to the Quezon City Jail in Payatas.