The Tamesis
June 3, 2026
Manila – Senator Migz Zubiri said that majority senators did not attend Tuesday’s plenary session for the second time.
About 20 minutes into the 3 p.m. hearing, Zubiri told the media that Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano called the Senate secretary.
“Alan called and said they won’t come again,” Zubiri said in Filipino.
Subsequently, 11 minority senators went to the Senate lounge to hold a caucus meeting.
Most were also unable to attend on Monday following the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
The majority bloc later defended its move, saying its absence was to “protect the integrity of ongoing Senate investigations.”
“They stressed that the issue is not the tenure of the Senate President, but whether ongoing investigations, particularly involving allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds, are allowed to continue without disruption or political interference,” the statement read.
They also noted that Estrada’s arrest and the absence of Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, which reduced the majority to just 11 members, “created an unusual situation in which the voting balance within the Senate shifted.”
They said this balance of votes could influence votes to change committee leadership, allowing a minority to “take control” of key committees. /mcm /Mr.
