The Senate on Monday, May 30, resumed its first face-to-face session since it adopted a hybrid set up in May 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
At least 18 senators were present during the plenary session at 3 p.m.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III had earlier ruled that hybrid sessions would no longer be allowed starting Monday, May 30, until the Senate ends the Third Regular Session on June 3.
It was in May 2020 when the Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 372 which amended the rules to allow members to participate in official proceedings through teleconferencing and other electronic means.
Sotto said the Senate made use of that particular rule because there was an emergency.
“But there is no longer an emergency, the worst is Alert Level 1. So we have to show the people we are working,” Sotto said last week.