Enrile questions lack of Senate quorum during afternoon sessions

SENATE Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile is indeed back at the Senate, closely watching the quorum, especially when the chamber tackles on important issues like the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR).

Enrile had to take the floor on Tuesday to put on record his observation that there were very few senators who were attending their afternoon sessions.

“I’m forced to stand up today to put into record my observation that in the course of our deliberations in the afternoon, there were very few senators on the floor to hear the proceedings,” he said.

“I would like to state here and now we intend as part of democratic society to perform our job as members of minority, we want to restore the dichotomy between the majority and minority and I hope, we do this just a matter of duty without any intention to offend anybody but as matter of duty to country and people that we serve,” he said.

“For us to be able to work together as a collegial body, to enact laws wisely, I hope you will understand that whenever we see the need to bring senators to floor, we have to make a quorum call. I think this is a fair position and I hope the majority will not begrudge us,” Enrile added.

Senate President Franklin Drilon ,who was presiding over the session, thanked Enrile for his reminder.

“Thank you, Senator Enrile. Thank you for your reminder. It is indeed a welcome reminder and for that reason the chair directs the Secretariat to transcribe immediately what the minority leader has mentioned and to distribute it to all the members of the Senate as a reminder. Thank you very much, Senator Enrile,” Drilon said.

Enrile just returned to the Senate Monday after being in a hospital arrest at Camp Crame in Quezon City on plunder and graft charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.