ACT Teachers Party-list Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio condemned the second day of the Senate majority's boycott of plenary sessions, stating it reveals a double standard between senators and ordinary government workers. According to Tinio, all 11 members of the Senate minority were present during the session on June 2, but majority senators were absent after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano informed them they would not attend the plenary.
Tinio emphasized that senators face no penalties for skipping their duties, while teachers, health workers, and other government employees risk salary deductions and disciplinary action for unexcused absences. Meanwhile, Makabayan President and former congresswoman Liza Maza said Cayetano should be replaced as Senate President to end the current paralysis of the Senate. According to Maza, the leadership crisis under Cayetano has worsened, resulting in two consecutive plenary sessions being canceled due to lack of quorum.
Instead of addressing critical national issues and fulfilling its role as an impeachment court, the Senate has been mired in political infighting. Maza urged senators to prioritize the interests of the people, truth, accountability, and justice over personal and partisan interests. House Prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon stressed that the Senate must resolve the quorum issue to avoid delaying the scheduled impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte. Ridon's statement came amid reports of session cancellations due to attendance and virtual voting issues, as the Congress sine die adjournment approaches.
