Camille Naredo

The Senate Minority Bloc on June 1, 2026. Photo from the Office of Sen. Kiko Pangilinan

Article (news)

SENATE

Marilyn Cahatol

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780319733823IMG_8114.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The Senate Minority Bloc on June 1, 2026. Photo from the Office of Sen. Kiko Pangilinan"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate Minority Bloc on June 1, 2026. <em>Photo from the Office of Sen. Kiko Pangilinan</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — No senator from the majority bloc attended the supposed plenary session on Monday. </p><p>The Senate failed to convene its regular session scheduled at 5:00 p.m. as the Majority Senators stood up the Minority, which led to a failure to muster a quorum.</p><p>Monday, June 1, is the third to the last session day before the 20th Congress adjourns its first regular session.</p><p>The Senate needs 13 senators to be present on the floor, which means neither the 13-man majority nor the 11-man minority has enough to constitute a quorum without the other. This, as majority Senator Ronald Dela Rosa has been absent since the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed an arrest warrant against him.</p><p>Also on Monday, majority <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/jinggoy-estrada-faces-second-arrest-warrant-for-non-bailable-plunder-1414">Senator Jinggoy Estrada was arrested</a> by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for his non-bailable plunder case stemming from his alleged involvement in the flood control corruption issue. </p><p>Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano himself failed to show up to open the session, which is the first since the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/26/minority-senators-walk-out-after-clash-on-electronic-voting-rule-discussion-1956">Minority walked out last Tuesday night</a> over disagreements on attempts to deliberate Senator Rodante Marcoleta&#x27;s proposal to amend the rules to allow senators to participate and vote in sessions offsite through electronic platforms.</p><p>Minority Senators waited for hours before they left the session at around 7:00 p.m. The 11-man bloc first posed for photos and guest performers for the day sang the national anthem as a matter of courtesy. </p><p>&quot;They did not even have the courtesy to inform us when they ignored the rules, and could not extend the basic decency of telling the minority that they had no intention of convening,&quot; the Minority senators said in a joint statement.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; they added.</p><p>&quot;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.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/jinggoy-estrada-to-stay-with-majority-won-t-get-salary-after-fresh-warrant-1610">&#x27;I will not yield to threats&#x27;: Jinggoy Estrada links plunder case to Senate allegiance</a></div><p>Senate reporters only learned that there would be no plenary session from a member of Cayetano&#x27;s staff who announced it to his media group chat. There was no official announcement or explanation to the media as of this writing.</p><p>On social media, Cayetano issued a challenge to the Minority, calling on them to stand up for the Senate&#x27;s independence.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/cayetano-wants-senate-minority-to-defend-chamber-s-independence-amid-estrada-arrest-2019">READ: Cayetano wants Senate minority to defend chamber’s independence amid Estrada arrest</a></div><p>The Majority and Minority have been locked in bitter intramurals after Cayetano ousted then Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Cayetano&#x27;s Senate Presidency has been rocked by persistent rumors that he may be replaced by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.</p><p>&quot;No matter our disagreements, we must all agree that it is the Senate’s own business to settle. This chamber answers to GOD and the people who sent us here, and to no one outside these walls,&quot; said Cayetano.</p><p>&quot;So I put one question to you, not as the majority but as the chamber: will you stand for the Senate’s independence? I am asking you to join one deliberate act — to let the Senate go quiet, together and by choice, so the country is made to ask why a co-equal branch would fall silent rather than be made to serve. The door is open. What you do with it is yours to answer — to this institution, and to the people watching it,&quot; he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PENDING BILLS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cfB8WCpi8ks?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>With no session convened, there could be no leadership change effected as Senators have to vote on a new leader in open session. </p><p>It also derailed pending business -- such as final approval on a bill designating the waling waling as national orchid, and the citizenship grants to athletes <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/5/26/marcoleta-seeks-stricter-scrutiny-as-boatwright-naturalization-bill-passes-2nd-reading-1954">Bennie Boatwright III</a> and Matthew James Ramos.</p><p>It also derailed deliberations on amendments to bills strengthening protection against hospital detention for patients who cannot pay, amendments to the indigenous peoples rights act and magna carta for barangay health workers.</p><p>While waiting for the session, minority Senator Miguel Zubiri told reporters that they are ready to work, even noting the need to convene the Commission on Appointments so it can confirm the promotion of generals before they retire. </p><p>Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said they did not get any notices of cancellation.</p><p>&quot;If you see his statement sa social media page sabi nga niya parang it&#x27;s a sign of protest on their part. On our part we just want to work,&quot; Zubiri said, referring to Cayetano&#x27;s Facebook post. </p><p>&quot;Kung may balak silang iboycott ang Senado, sila lang,&quot; Senator Raffy Tulfo said. &quot;Parang ganoon yung tema ng message ni SP Alan.&quot;</p><p>The Minority maintained that the current situation in the chamber has nothing to do with the Senate&#x27;s independence.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; they said.</p><p>&quot;This may be the first time in decades that Senate work stopped because the presiding officer himself refused to work, because even during typhoons and the height of the pandemic, work was suspended only because of necessity or because systems still had to be set up, not because the leadership chose a boycott of duty,&quot; they added.</p><p>&quot;The question now is just as serious: will they do this again for the next two session days, and will they keep the Senate idle simply to avoid facing the numbers on the floor?</p><p>&quot;The Senate should open its doors, call the session to order and return to work, because no Facebook post, no appeal to institutional pride and no political drama can erase the basic duty of senators to show up, follow the law and serve the people.&quot;</p><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTP2XUYaoro?si=LTKyWkEmdAHCa8_z" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Since 5 p.m. on Monday — the scheduled resumption of the plenary session after the minority walked out last week — only the 11 minority senators were seen inside the plenary hall. The seats of the majority bloc remained vacant until past 7 p.m., when the present senators were seen leaving.</p>

Since 5 p.m. on Monday — the scheduled resumption of the plenary session after the minority walked out last week — only the 11 minority senators were seen inside the plenary hall. The seats of the majority bloc remained vacant until past 7 p.m., when the present senators were seen leaving.

Senate majority no show in supposed Monday session

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Senate majority no show in supposed Monday session

Marilyn Cahatol,

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 01, 2026 08:05 PM PHT

|

Updated June 01, 2026 09:20 PM PHT

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Senate

majority

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Jinggoy Estrada

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