Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and his senator-allies did not attend the Senate’s special session on Wednesday, June 17.
Among those absent were Senators Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Camille Villar, and Mark Villar.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada was also not present. He is facing graft and plunder charges over alleged receipt of ₱573 million in kickbacks linked to budget allocations for flood control projects and is currently under a 90-day preventive suspension ordered by the Sandiganbayan.
Meanwhile, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was also absent amid reports that he is in hiding following an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
The special session, called by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was convened to address pending legislation that had remained stalled amid a prolonged Senate leadership dispute.
Despite the absence of the Cayetano-aligned bloc, a quorum was still achieved after Senator Joel Villanueva joined the Senator Sherwin Gatchalian bloc, becoming its 13th member during the session.
Cayetano was formally unseated as Senate President after Gatchalian was elected by a majority of senators, ending weeks of contested leadership claims.
In a statement issued earlier on Wednesday, Cayetano acknowledged that the Gatchalian bloc had secured enough numbers to consolidate control of the chamber.
The development followed weeks of tension in the Senate, during which Cayetano’s bloc stopped attending plenary sessions starting June 2.
Gatchalian bloc later secured a quorum on June 3 after Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero’s appearance helped complete attendance with 12 members, paving the way for the leadership shift.
