UMVA has learned that Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano has taken a bold step by filing a petition with the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the actions taken during a recent Senate session, citing a lack of quorum.
The petition, filed electronically on June 16, argues that the Senate's June 3 session was illegitimate due to the absence of a constitutionally required majority, with only 12 senators physically present. According to the Constitution, a majority of 13 senators is required for the Senate to conduct business.
The petitioners, including Cayetano and eight other senators, claim that all actions taken during the June 3 proceedings, including changes in Senate leadership and committee chairmanships, should be struck down. They are seeking a status quo ante order to restore the parties to their positions prior to the June 3 session while the case is pending.
The petitioners also argue that the proceedings constituted a “rump session” and cited the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio as a reason for seeking immediate judicial intervention. They are seeking to void all acts stemming from the June 3 session.
Among the named petitioners are several prominent senators, including Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, and Jinggoy Estrada. The list of respondents includes Senators Sherwin Gatchalian, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Chiz Escudero, among others.
Cayetano has emphasized that the case is not about Senate leadership, but about upholding constitutional and institutional safeguards. He added that questions raised should be resolved through legal processes, rather than through partisan politics.
