Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto – Photo from Vicente Tito Sotto/Facebook
A dispute in the Senate over allowing lawmakers to join sessions remotely may be elevated to the Supreme Court if the minority bloc fails to stop the proposal on the floor, former Senate president Vicente Sotto III said.
Sotto raised the possibility after the minority blocked an attempt by the majority to take up a motion from Sen. Rodante Marcoleta that would permit remote participation during plenary sessions.
He said the group would consider bringing the issue before the high court if they were unable to halt the move within the chamber.
Tensions flared on Tuesday when members of the minority staged a walkout after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano moved to call a vote on whether to proceed with discussions on the proposal.
Sotto remained in the session hall and later initiated a roll call before moving to adjourn proceedings.
He maintained that any change in Senate rules must follow proper procedure and should not be rushed or tailored to benefit specific individuals.
Sotto also questioned the push for the proposal, saying it appeared designed to accommodate certain senators, including those facing legal challenges, and insisted that the matter should first be reviewed by the committee on rules, which has yet to be formed under the current leadership.
The minority bloc earlier raised concerns that the proposed changes could allow senators under legal scrutiny to continue participating in votes, while Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the walkout showed that adhering to established rules remained their strongest position in the dispute.
