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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