Members of the Senate minority bloc, known as the “Solid Bloc 11,” blasted the majority group led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano for boycotting the plenary session on Monday, June 1, leaving key measures stalled.
The minority senators said they were ready to work and vote on pending bills but were left waiting in the session hall after the majority failed to show up following Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest earlier in the day.
In a strongly worded statement, the Solid Bloc 11 criticized their colleagues for not even informing them of the boycott.
“They did not even have the courtesy to tell us they had no intention of convening,” the group said, adding that important measures such as the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, the Anti‑Hospital Detention Bill, and several citizenship bills were left hanging.
Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri lamented that in his 14 years in the Senate, it was the first time the presiding officer failed to appear.
Senator Erwin Tulfo called the incident a waste of taxpayers’ money.
The minority bloc accused Cayetano of holding the Senate “hostage” and questioned whether he was undermining the rule of law.
They argued that the boycott was not about Senate independence but about shielding Estrada and avoiding a test of numbers on the floor.
“This may be the first time in decades that Senate work stopped because the presiding officer himself refused to work,” the minority said, urging the public to remain vigilant.
The Senate is set to adjourn on June 5, with its last plenary session scheduled for Wednesday, June 3. (Hannah Torregoza)
