For those who have worked at or covered the House of Representatives, it is not unusual or special if a lawmaker suddenly asks to be recognized and then low key ask the Speaker, “Mr. Speaker, do we have a quorum?”

I can remember two lawmakers who were known for quite frequently questioning if there’s a quorum, a basic requirement for the House to validly conduct its business. They are gone from the House now.

Raising the quorum question will lead the House leadership to suspend the session for “one minute” and thereafter unleash the sound of a bell throughout the Batasang Pambansa complex to summon congressmen to proceed to the plenary hall. We could be pretty sure that calls for also made to the lawmakers’ offices.

If the House leadership manages to gather a majority of lawmakers who personally appear at the plenary hall, the session could resume. If not, the Speaker has no choice but to adjourn the session.

Sometimes or oftentimes, the House majority leader would move at the start of the plenary session to dispense with the calling of the roll, especially if he estimates there’s a majority of lawmakers present. The problem begins when many lawmakers quietly leave the plenary hall for side meetings, office work, or even to grab a bite.

Questioning the quorum and moving to adjourn are part of parliamentary procedures that guide the House and the Senate. Each of the world’s Congress or parliament has its own rules to make conducting its business orderly and without serious hitches. Considered as the benchmark for parliamentary procedures is the Robert’s Rules of Order.

With due respect to Senate minority leader Tito Sotto, the praise for his legislative maneuver seems to be overdone. Sotto knew what he was doing. He had been vice mayor of Quezon City and consequently presiding official of the city council, and he had been Senate president. He is familiar with the parliamentary procedures. We could say that the majority is also familiar with parliamentary procedures.

Sotto’s motions was a surprise to those who are unfamiliar with parliamentary procedures, and they are the ones lionizing Sotto and the minority about it.

In the minutes and records of the Senate, the so-called walkout would most probably not be mentioned. The motion to adjourn and the questioning of a quorum by Sotto would surely be mentioned.

We now have to see how the majority would respond to this parliamentary maneuver of the minority. The majority of 13 lacks a fugitive member, and they cannot afford to be incomplete on session days. But if the majority is complete (12 members sans the fugitive), questioning the quorum won’t work. Sotto or a minority member would have to be physically present to make a motion. That means the Senate has 13 members assembled. There’s a quorum.

Let’s see if the majority could manage to be 12-member strong every single day. This may become extra difficult with the impending arrest of majority members facing serious charges.

Parliamentary procedures may seem irrelevant to our daily lives. But corporations and organizations, barangay and SK councils, city councils and provincial boards, also make use of their own parliamentary procedures. They are required by law to do their business in an orderly manner, and the procedures help guarantee that from records-keeping, publicly-accessible venues, public consultations, opportunities for people to speak, etc.

“They have a system and I’m unfamiliar with it” — this is the usual reaction when we attend meetings of boards of trustees in schools or at work, homeowner associations, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board, the National Labor Relations Commission, and so forth. The “system” could very well be their procedures and by-laws.

Debate clubs and organizations in schools study and use parliamentary procedures. The basics should also be taught in class, so that whether as observer, member or as citizen, one would know what’s important, how to intervene, how to win, how to suspend a session. This could also be taught in high school and college.

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Musician Danny Fabella invited us for “Mga Di Pangkaraniwan,” a concert honoring extraordinary Filipinos, on June 4, 7 p.m., Mow’s Bar, Matalino Street, Quezon City. Also performing are: Musikang Bayan, Ian Lofamia, Ezequiel Garcia, Filipina Kate Urbano, Jonathan Urbano, Mark Estandarte, and Emilio Casiño.