House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V appealed to his fellow lawmakers in the Upper Chamber of Congress to resume their duties.

According to a Tuesday report by RH 12 Milky Rigonan, senators only have until tomorrow, June 3, before the Congress adjourns sine die, Ortega pointed out.

Apart from the priority bills in limbo, the Senate should be preparing for the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Ortega said the Senate’s role as an impeachment court is a crucial one, as the senator-judges will be ruling either to acquit or dismiss Duterte from her seat as the vice president.

Moreover, Ortega said the two Chambers must work hand in hand, and the public is dismayed at the recent events that have transpired among the senators.

The Senate Majority bloc has been absent from plenary sessions since Monday, June 1, including Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, prompting Minority senators to call for Cayetano’s resignation over his “clear abandonment of responsibility.”

“What happened today was a clear abandonment of responsibility, a dereliction of duty, and a blatant disregard of the rules that govern this institution, because the Senate cannot be made to stop working simply because its presiding officer refuses to lead,” the senators said in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, Cayetano held a virtual press conference wherein he responded to calls for his resignation. He accused them of taking institutional disputes as personal attacks and called into question the apparent lack of willingness to give him a fair chance to lead the Senate.

“I've always treated you well, whether I'm close to you or not, whether you're in the Minority, Majority, and I will continue to treat all of you well,” Cayetano said. “Kayo ang namemersonal, because kami, it has been one issue after the other, di ba?”