Cases filed against senators that have resulted in their detention or absence from the Senate could affect the chamber’s ability to function and potentially delay national budget deliberations, PGMN Anchors Cj Hirro and Kiko Barzaga discussed during the first episode of “The Peanut Gallery Podcast,” which has gone viral across PGMN’s channels, surpassing 4 million combined views in just 3 days.
Watch the first episode of the Peanut Gallery Podcast here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DuyTabodq/
The discussion opened with PGMN Anchor Atty. Regal Oliva pointing to what the hosts described as political “warning shots” involving former and current minority senators.
Hirro questioned how the institution could continue to operate if more senators were detained, forced into hiding or otherwise unable to attend sessions.
“I think that you are impaling, at this point, the Senate. What’s the point of having a Senate with half of its members in jail or in hiding?” Hirro said.
Barzaga extended that concern to the passage of the national budget, questioning whether the Senate could still meet its constitutional quorum requirement if controversies and legal proceedings prevented enough lawmakers from participating.
“What if they had so many warning shots that they can’t even make a quorum for the budget?” Barzaga asked.
Four senators have been absent: Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, who are detained over plunder and related charges; Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, who now has a ₱50-million bounty placed on him by the DILG; and Sen. Loren Legarda, who is on extended medical leave due to a lung ailment.
The Senate is reviewing safeguards following the Supreme Court’s ruling that the 2024 and 2025 national budgets were unconstitutional over unprogrammed appropriations.
Under Article VI, Section 16(2) of the 1987 Constitution, a majority of each chamber is needed to conduct legislative business. In a fully constituted 24-member Senate, this generally requires at least 13 senators to be present.
Without the required quorum, the Senate may be unable to proceed with legislative work, potentially delaying key measures, including the national budget.
