The 24-member Senate on Wednesday, June 1 adjourned sine die the third and final session of the 18th Congress, living behind a list of invaluable service and productive performance that benefited the Filipino people.
In his valedictory address, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III urged the incoming 19th Congress ‘’to maintain the integrity and independence of the Senate.’’
Six ranking Senate officials and senators, likewise, delivered stirring valedictory speeches citing their performances and expressing their gratitude to the comradeship of and help from their colleagues, and to the Senate rank and file.
They were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto, Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin M. Drilon, Panfilo M. Lacson, Emmanuel Pacquiao and Richard J. Gordon.
The Senate approved a resolution of Drilon nominating Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to act as temporary Senate President Pro Tempore to discharge Senate duties until June 29, 2022.
Functions of regular Senate officials - Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore - ended tonight because of the sine die adjournment.
Zubiri said his extended role is to sign Senate checks starting tomorrow to June 29, 2022.
The newly-elected senators will take their oath of office at noon of June 30, 2022.
Before adjourning, the Senate approved resolutions commending Senators Leila de Lima, Francis Pangilinan, Drilon, Gordon, Lacson, Pacquiao, Zubiri, Sotto and Recto for their invaluable contribution or exemplary performance to the Senate and to the Filipino people.
Before adjourning, Sotto expressed hopes that the Philippines shall always be under God’s care.
Digressing from the usual ‘’thank you’’ and ‘I’m grateful’’ lines of his colleagues, Pacquiao expressed hopes that people should give President-elect Ferdinand ‘’Bongbong’’ R. Marcos Jr. a second chance to prove his worth.
‘’Don’t judge him,’’ Pacquiao said of the strident criticisms of anti-Marcos groups.
Pollsters said Marcos pulled a historic win with 31 million votes, or a 16-million vote gap against the 15 million votes of Vice President Leni Robredo.
Pacquiao said Marcos’ goal is also to help the poor and if Filipinos are divided, nothing good would come out.
Help Marcos because he won, he added.
Both Lacson and Pacquiao ran and lost in the presidential race.
The Senate failed to take up the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement.
Earlier, Senator Francis Tolentino said the RCEP Agreement should be tackled by the incoming Marcos administration.
Pangilinan, Sotto and Lacson are against or have doubts about the RCEP.