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Senate declares 'adjournment sine die' after two days straight of not conducting plenary sessions.

Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Senate President Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian remarks that the undiscussed adjournment of three days without the consent of the other House puts them on the brink of 'constitutional violation.' Gatchalian also states that the quorum of 12 is based on majority of 22 senators whose jurisdictions can be obtained by the Senate.


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Transcript
00:00Mr. President, I also move to consider proposed Senate concurrent resolution number 10.
00:07The Secretary is directed to read only the title of the resolution without prejudice of inserting
00:12the full text thereof. Concurrent resolution providing for the adjournment senior year of
00:17the first regular session of the 20th Congress of the Philippines not later than 12 o'clock
00:21midnight today, June 3, 2026. Mr. President, I move to adopt Senate concurrent resolution number 10.
00:28Is there any objection? Hearing none, motion is carried. Mr. President, in conformity with the Senate
00:35concurrent resolution that we have just adopted, I move that the committee on the Senate provided
00:41therein be composed of Senators J.V. Ejercito, Francis Pangilinan, and Rafi Tulfo. I so move, Mr. President.
00:48Is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. Senators J.V. Ejercito,
00:53Francis Pangilinan, and Rafi Tulfo, and shall compose the committee of the Senate to inform
01:00the President of the Republic of the Philippines that the first regular session of the 20th Congress
01:05is ready to adjourn Sinedia. Thank you very much, Mr. President. And just for clarity, the PS resolution
01:13we earlier approved is 430. The number is 430. Mr. President, before we adjourn, the Chair would
01:27like to state for the record. Mr. President, before we adjourn, allow me to give a few remarks.
01:34Before we adjourn, ladies and gentlemen, the Chair would like to state for the record that
01:39we are compelled to call the session to order today. After the Senate adjourned on May 26,
01:452026, session was scheduled to resume on Monday, June 1, 2026, and on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
01:55But the former Senate President failed to appear in both instances.
02:04Further, Article 6, Section 16.5 of the Constitution provides that neither House shall, during sessions
02:12of Congress, adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other House. The Senate has been
02:21adjourned and unable to resume session for the past two days. Placing us on the brink of constitutional
02:28violation had we not convened today. Thus, in the absence of a duly consulted postponement and the
02:37continued absence of the former Senate President, former Senate President pro tempore and members of the
02:43majority, we are compelled to call the session to order. The quorum of 12 is based on majority of 22
02:51senators over whom jurisdiction can be obtained by the Senate. This is in full accord with the ruling of the
02:59court in Avellino versus Cuenco that an absolute majority of 12 out of the 23 members can constitute a
03:08constitutional majority of the Senate for quorum purposes. And with precedent, specifically the May 5, 2015, session where the
03:18quorum was based on 17 available senators with seven others beyond the Senate's coercive jurisdiction. Thank you.
03:27Thank you very much for the clarity, Mr. President. Mr. President, let the record reflect that the chair, a Senate
03:33president pro tempore shall act as, or shall serve as acting president pursuant to rule five. Yes.
03:42Presiding officer of the Senate pursuant to rule five, section four C and five of the rules of the Senate
03:49pursuant to our
03:54rules. The wording is actually acting president, Mr. President on our rules. Just for the record, Mr. President, is there
04:01any
04:01objection? Hearing none, the motion is approved. Mr. President, I move that the president of the Republic of the Philippines
04:09and the House of
04:09Representatives be informed of the election of Senate president pro tempore and acting Senate president Sherwin
04:16Gachalian. I so move, Mr. President. Is there any objection? Hearing none, the motion of the majority leaders hereby. Mr.
04:23President, I move that the first regular session of the 20th Congress of the Philippines on the part of the
04:28Senate, the
04:29adjourned, CNG. Is there any objection? The chair is none. The motion is approved. The first regular session of the
04:3720th Congress of the
04:38Philippines on the Philippines on the part of the Senate is a sojourned, CNG.
05:08President, I move that the first regular session. And if it takes 32, he comes up to the 20th Congresswoman
05:14, an
05:14złitudes140 on a 15th Congresswoman, an
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