The Senate failed to convene for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, as members of the majority bloc, led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, again absented themselves from the plenary session.
Majority Bloc's Protest
According to the majority bloc, their absence is part of a protest against what they call attempts to undermine the freedom of the chamber and to stop the scheduled hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
The latest no-show occurred a day after several majority senators skipped the session on Monday, June 1, to accompany Senator Jinggoy Estrada following his arrest on plunder charges at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters in Camp Crame.
Cayetano Defends Absence
In a Facebook Live broadcast on Tuesday, Cayetano defended the continued absence of majority senators, describing it as a protest and a parliamentary strategy aimed at ensuring that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing scheduled for June 4 proceeds.
"Now, the majority is also using the rules morally and legally to ensure that the Blue Ribbon hearing on Thursday will continue," Cayetano said.
Cayetano stated that the majority bloc believes there are attempts to change the Senate leadership and control committees in a way that would obstruct ongoing investigations, particularly the Blue Ribbon Committee's probe into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
Alleged Pressure on Senators
He claimed that majority members have been pressured in recent weeks to switch factions amid the leadership conflict in the Senate.
"For the last three weeks, they have done nothing but threaten us, twist our arms, offer us all sorts of things to switch to their side," Cayetano said.
"Senator Jinggoy said that since February (they have been talking to him), there would be no case if he followed them, in this case switch sides... This is not hearsay to me because I heard some of their conversations, so I know for a fact that his case is being bargained just to bring back the majority to the current 11-member minority," he added.
Estrada's Arrest as Influence
Cayetano also claimed that Estrada's arrest was used to influence senators and change the balance of power in the Senate.
The June 4 hearing referenced by Cayetano pertains to the ongoing investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
