The Senate majority bloc on Tuesday defended its decision to skip plenary session, saying the move was made “to protect the integrity of the ongoing Senate investigations amid recent developments that have significantly altered the chamber’s numerical balance.”
In a statement, the majority said the issue was not about keeping Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano in power, but about ensuring that key investigations, especially those involving corruption and the alleged misuse of public funds, would continue without disruption or political interference.
The bloc said the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and the continued absence of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, both members of the majority, created an unusual situation “in which the balance of votes inside the Senate has shifted.”
With Estrada and Dela Rosa out, the majority said its bloc now has only 11 members physically available, matching the number of senators in the minority. At least 13 votes are needed to elect a new Senate president.
“While these developments do not provide sufficient numbers to change the Senate leadership, they may allow changes in committee leadership through the votes of senators present during session,” the majority said.
The bloc claimed that after earlier attempts to change the Senate leadership failed, efforts were now being directed toward gaining control of key committees.
It said its main concern is the continuing investigation into flood control projects, which involves billions of pesos in public funds.
The majority said the public deserves to know how the funds were used and whether the investigation would be allowed to proceed without pressure, disruption, or political interference.
The bloc also criticized the minority for portraying its walkout last week as a “legitimate expression of principle,” while describing the majority’s decision not to provide a quorum as an “abandonment of duty.”
The majority insisted that its move was also a parliamentary tool, aimed at preventing temporary shifts in attendance from altering the leadership of committees handling sensitive investigations.
“Para mapagsilbihan kayo ng bagong majority, we have to make sure na nariyan yung 13 senators para masubukan ninyo ano made-deliver namin sa inyo,” Cayetano said.
“For the new majority bloc to serve you, we have to make sure that the 13 senators are still here so you can test us on how we can deliver to the people,” he added.
The majority said what is at stake is not merely who chairs Senate committees, but whether investigations involving billions of pesos in public funds will be allowed to proceed wherever the evidence leads.
It added that the Senate must remain capable of carrying out its constitutional duty without fear, pressure, or interference.