Facade of the Senate building in Pasay City. (Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will suspend plenary sessions next week in light of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to be imposed in Metro Manila.
In a message to reporters Monday, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed that the upper chamber will not hold sessions from August 9 to 11.
Metro Manila is scheduled to be placed under ECQ, the government’s strictest quarantine classification, from August 6 to 20.
According to Zubiri, they are still looking into whether or not they will also suspend the holding of committee hearings during the ECQ period.
“Ang mahirap kasi sa hearings we still need stenographers and of course they can’t come to the Senate so paano na yan?” he said.
(What’s difficult is we still need stenographers during hearings and of course they can’t come to the Senate so how would that be possible?)
“Wala naman silang equipment sa bahay. So baka yan wala rin,” he added.
(They do not have the needed equipment at home. So we may also not allow hearings at the moment.)