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LACSON: MAJORITY BLOC’S NO-SHOW IN MONDAY’S SENATE SESSION AIMED TO HOLD LEGISLATION HOSTAGE

admin June 3, 2026

The no-show of the majority bloc in Monday’s Senate session sought to hold legislation hostage over the arrest of Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada – but will not solve anything, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.

Lacson said what happened Monday was not a case of standing up for the Senate’s independence but plain and simple dereliction of duty by the majority bloc led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

“Standing up for the Senate’s independence does not place SP Cayetano and any senator above the law. It has nothing to do with non-adherence to the rule of law. Dereliction of duty will not solve this partisan gridlock. Its sole purpose is to hold legislation hostage,” he said in a post on X.

On Monday, the majority bloc members did not attend Monday’s regular session. The minority bloc said this was not about the Senate’s independence but about the majority’s boycott of duty.

“Let us call this for what it is: the claim that this is about Senate independence is false, because what happened today was about the rule of law, public accountability and a lawful process before the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan that no senator, no bloc and no presiding officer controls. This is a boycott because of the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and the public should not be asked to believe another convenient line from a leadership that has repeatedly twisted the truth,” it said.

Before the majority’s absence from the session, Cayetano tried but failed to prevent the arrest of Sen. Estrada, when police arrived to implement the Sandiganbayan’s arrest order against him.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla implemented the warrant despite the confrontation with Cayetano, who claimed that during the time of Senate President Jovito Salonga, he “protected” then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.

Meanwhile, Lacson said the arrest of Estrada is a step toward serving justice, either to the thousands of flood victims or Sen. Estrada, “since both parties will finally have their day in court after a long wait.”

Lacson also reiterated his wish for the Senate to recover its integrity, dignity, reputation, and the public trust and confidence it once enjoyed.

“My only birthday wish is for the Senate to recover what is left of its integrity, dignity and reputation, but most of all, the public trust and confidence that our predecessors used to enjoy,” Lacson said.