Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, on Wednesday, May 27, said the minority bloc may elevate to the Supreme Court (SC) its objections to the proposed Senate rule change on allowing online participation in the chamber’s proceedings.

“If we are not able to stop it,” Sotto said when asked if the minority would consider questioning before the high court what former Senate President Franklin Drilon described as possible grave abuse of discretion by the Senate majority.

The dispute stemmed from the majority bloc’s push to amend Senate rules to allow online participation in proceedings under certain conditions, a proposal introduced by Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

Sotto criticized the move, as he insisted that existing Senate procedures were being disregarded to accommodate certain lawmakers who may later face legal trouble.

“Rules should be followed, not changed for personal reasons,” he said.

The proposal triggered heated exchanges during Tuesday’s plenary session and eventually led to a walkout by the 11 minority senators.

Sotto also argued that the Committee on Rules could not validly act on the proposal because the panel itself had yet to be formally constituted following the Senate leadership reorganization earlier this month.

“The rules committee was never constituted. There is no chairman. Joel was acting capacity only,” he said, referring to Senate President Pro Tempore Joel Villanueva.

He further questioned the timing of the proposed amendment, claiming it appeared intended to benefit senators who could later face criminal charges or detention.

“Why will they insist to change the rules when it is obviously just to favor Bato and whoever will be charged. That is not our fault,” Sotto said, referring to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa is considered a wanted man by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged involvement in the bloody war on drugs of the previous Duterte administration. 

In a joint statement, the minority bloc condemned what appears to be an attempt to rush a major change in the Senate rules, especially when several members of the minority still wanted to speak and raise serious questions on the floor.

They said that the answer that no Senate rule had been violated does not settle the matter, because the rules cannot be treated as a matter of convenience when the very process for amending them is under serious question.

"The timing raises a question that the public deserves to hear debated openly. Kaya pinili naming tumayo at iwan ang majority sa plenary. Kaya kami nagdesisyon to question the quorum and call for adjournment (That’s why we decided to question the quorum and call for adjournment)," the minority bloc wrote.