Cayetano absent as Senate of 17th Congress convenes

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano (left) was not present when the Senate of the 17th Congress convened Monday morning. Cayetano had vied for the Senate presidency, which was later bagged by Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel Jr.

The Senate formally opened on Monday the 17th  Congress  with 23  senators present.

Only Senator  Alan Peter Cayetano was not  present  when outgoing Senator  President Franklin Drilon banged the gavel at 10:00 a.m, which signaled  the opening  of the session.

Cayetano had targeted the Senate presidency but was thwarted by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel who got the prior support of majority of the senators of the 17th Congress.

Those who responded to the roll call were Senators Sonny Angara, Bam Aquino, Nancy Binay, Leila de Lima, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan,  Risa Hontiveros,  and Panfilo Lacson.

Also  in attendance were Senators Loren Legarda, Manny Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, Grace Poe,  Pimentel,  Ralph Recto, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III,  Antonio Trillanes IV, Joel Villanueva,  Cynthia Villar, and  Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Five of the  24 senators are first-timers. They are  De Lima,  Gatchalian, Hontiveros,  Manny Pacquiao  and Villanueva.

Except  for  De lima,  who was  Justice Secretary  before she was elected senator  in the last May elections, all other  neophytes  had served as members of the  House  of Representatives.

After   the session,  the Senate and the House  will jointly convene  in the  afternoon to listen to the first state of the nation address  of President Rodrigo Duterte.

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