Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III formally opened this Monday morning, July 26 the third and last regular session of the 18th Congress.
The Senate chief was able to bang the gavel to open the Senate session after an attempt to unseat him fizzled out last week.
Sotto, chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), is aspiring for a vice presidential post under a possible Lacson-Sotto tandem.
Senators were led in prayer by presidential ally Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa.
Fourteen senators physically attended the opening ceremony.
Entry to the Senate session hall is highly restricted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of media remained barred from covering legislative activities in the Senate building since the start of the country-wide pandemic.
The senators physically present during the opening rites were Sotto, Senate President Ralph G. Recto, Senate Majority Leader ‘’Migz’’ Zubiri and Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon.
Others physically present were De la Rosa,
Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go, Francis Tolentino, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, Pia S. Cayetano, Nancy Binay, Panfilo Lacson, Grace Poe and Ramon ‘’Bong’’ Revilla.
In virtual attendance were Senators Juan Edgardo ‘’Sonny’’ Angara, Manuel ‘’Lito’’ Lapid, Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel III and Cynthia A. Villar.
Lacson, however, will not physically attend the President’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon city.
Pacquiao virtually attended the rites because he is in Los Angeles preparing for his August 21 boxing bout in Las Vegas.
Senator Leila de Lima could not still attend Senate activities as she remains at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial facility arising from alleged illegal drugs charge.
A select number of senators were to attend this afternoon the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte.
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