Senate fails to convene after Cayetano bloc skips session

Rappler Recap: Senate majority no-show in plenary after Jinggoy Estrada arrest

MANILA, Philippines – Only members of the minority bloc showed up for the Senate plenary session on Monday, June 1, as senators from the majority failed to appear. The no-show came hours after the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, a member of the majority bloc, over graft and plunder charges. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said the arrest poses a threat to the Senate’s independence. He challenged minority senators “to let the Senate go qu…

‘Not Senate independence but boycott of duty’: Solid Bloc 11 slams colleagues for leaving important measures hanging

Members of the Senate minority bloc, the so-called Solid Bloc 11, slammed the majority bloc headed by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano for leaving important measures hanging when it decided to boycott the plenary session on Monday, June 1 after Senator Jinggoy Estrada surrendered to authorities hours before the plenary session was supposed to start. Cayetano earlier pushed back the opening of Monday’s session from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. but hours …

Senate session adjourned after Cayetano, members of majority bloc fail to show up

MANILA, Philippines—For the first time in the history of the Senate, the session was suspended for no valid reason.Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano was supposed to resume session at 5 p.m. But he and fellow members in the majority group did not show up.Members of the minority bloc stayed until past 7 p.m. as they waited for the majority group to arrive.They finally decided to leave after the air-conditioning system and wi-fi connection at th…

Senate majority no show in supposed Monday session

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 insid

Senate fails to convene after Cayetano bloc skips session

(Updated) Minority senators waited for more than an hour, but the chamber could not proceed after presiding officers and majority senators failed to appear.