Sen. Bam Aquino Says Senate Can Now Return to Working for the Filipinos
BAM AQUINO – The Senator defended the recent quorum of 12 when they resumed the session after the majority bloc was no show for two (2) days.
The plenary session in the Senate was recently halted twice after the majority senators did not arrive for the session. Their first no show was when Sen. Jinggoy Estrada turned himself to the authorities.
The authorities, led by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, came to the Senate. Estrada was accompanied by then-Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano and some majority members during his voluntary surrender.
Among those who showed their support for Estrada were his fellow majority senators Mark Villar, Rodante Marcoleta, Camille Villar, and Imee Marcos. Some of them including Estrada were emotional then.
Sen. Camille Villar was emotional as she said she’s praying for Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and his family. The accused Senator called the allegations of flood control corruption against him as alleged persecution.
The majority senators were no show for the Monday and Tuesday Senate sessions and it earned criticisms from the then-minority bloc. They even called for former Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano’s resignation. On Wednesday, the session was pushed through with the arrival of Sen. Chiz Escudero.
The attendance of Sen. Chiz Escudero brought the senators a quorum of 12. They voted to declare all the positions in the Senate vacant. However, former Senate Pres. Alan Peter Cayetano called his ouster by a “quorum of 12” as illegal. Some of the now-majority senators including Sen. Bam Aquino moved to defend it.
“On the issue of quorum, this is not an uncharted matter. The Supreme Court, in Avelino v. Cuenco, recognized the principle that a quorum of 12 is determined based on the number of members who are legally able to discharge the functions of the Senate,” Aquino stated in a post.
Among the 24 senators in the Senate, only 22 can fully discharge their duties. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is now detained as he is faced with graft and plunder charges while Sen. Bato dela Rosa has gone into hiding amid a pending arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
“The institution cannot remain stalled by disagreements or uncertainty. Our duty is clear: to legislate, provide oversight, and serve the public interest. The Filipino people deserve a Senate that shows up, does its job, and places public service above politics. It is time to move forward and get back to work,” Sen. Bam Aquino wrote in his post.
However, as for Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, he is allegedly still the legal and moral Senate President of the Philippines. He claimed that their bloc will continue the hearings.