Sotto: People misunderstand SC ruling on Senate leadership petition

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Vicente Sotto III on Thursday said some people have misunderstood the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to dismiss a petition related to the dispute over the Senate leadership.

“Some people misunderstand it. The petition is not justiciable; therefore no need for SC to take it up,” Sotto said in a message sent to Senate reporters.

His statement came after the Supreme Court En Banc dismissed the petition filed by high school teacher Barry Tayam against Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, and Loren Legarda.

On Wednesday, the high court said it dismissed the petition for lack of legal standing, ruling that Tayam “failed to show that he suffered, or was at imminent risk of suffering, any direct injury from the actions he challenged.”

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Tayam had asked the SC to declare the presence of 12 senators during the June 3, 2026, session of the 20th Congress as a valid quorum.

Following the dismissal of the case, supporters of the bloc led by Cayetano claimed online that the ruling amounted to a victory for their camp in the ongoing dispute over the Senate presidency.

Sotto, however, said in Filipino, “Many are under wishful thinking, trying to fool people into thinking that the 12 of 23  [quorum] is wrong.”

READ: SC junks teacher’s petition on Senate session for lack of legal standing

The dispute stemmed from the June 3 Senate session, during which the election of Senate officers triggered competing claims over the chamber’s leadership.

The SC did not rule on the validity of the quorum or the actions taken during the June 3 session.

Instead, its ruling was limited to the issue of legal standing, finding that Tayam was not the proper party to bring the petition before the tribunal. /jpv /atm