A bloc of Senate minority lawmakers staged a walkout during plenary deliberations, accusing the chamber’s majority of attempting to fast-track a controversial amendment to Senate rules without allowing full debate from dissenting senators.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, the minority group questioned the urgency behind the proposed rule change, saying several senators still wanted to raise concerns and clarify issues surrounding the measure before any vote was taken.
“Why the rush? Why prevent senators from speaking? Why divide the house when many senators were still questioning the process?” the lawmakers said.
The senators also raised concerns over the timing of the proposed amendments, suggesting the changes could be linked to ongoing political tensions involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and reports that some majority lawmakers could face possible arrest.
According to the statement, the minority lawmakers walked out because proceedings on the Senate floor allegedly appeared to move away from what they described as “orderly deliberation.”
The proposed amendment reportedly concerns rules governing how senators may attend sessions, participate in proceedings, and carry out their mandate through remote means.
The minority argued that such a significant procedural change should undergo broader public discussion instead of being “rushed by the tyranny of the majority.”
While affirming support for open debates in the Senate, the lawmakers said healthy deliberation requires giving all members an opportunity to speak rather than forcing discussions to proceed at the pace dictated by the majority bloc.
The senators also questioned the legality and procedural basis of the move, claiming there was no duly constituted Committee on Rules at the time the proposal was taken up and that the Senate had yet to elect a Majority Leader who could properly steer amendments through the chamber’s regular process.
“How could there have been any action or discussion before the Committee on Rules when no Committee on Rules has been organized to date?” the statement read.
The minority further argued that assurances that “no Senate rule had been violated” do not fully address concerns over whether the process itself was proper.
“With due respect, the answer that no Senate rule had been violated does not settle the matter, because the rules cannot be treated as a matter of convenience when the very process for amending them is under serious question,” the senators said.
The lawmakers said they chose to walk out, question the quorum, and call for adjournment to protest what they viewed as an irregular process.
“If the proposal is truly defensible, then let it pass through the proper route,” the statement added.
The minority maintained that they are seeking more time for discussion, saying they owe it to the public “to do our mandate” and ensure the issue is fully debated before any rule changes are approved.
