Just before the Senate went on sine die adjournment, an ethics complaint was filed against erstwhile Senate president Alan Peter Cayetano and the rest of the members of his “majority” group.

The complainant, Mark Joseph G. Duque, a first year college student lodged the complaint against Cayetano before the office of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges on Wednesday, June 3. 

Duque filed the complaint against Cayetano for “gross neglect of duty and violation of the Senate Code of Ethics” for boycotting the plenary sessions of the Upper Chamber  last June 1 and June 2, effectively leaving significant legislative measures hanging.

In his 8-paged complaint, Duque alleged that Cayetano, who was elected as Senate President last May 11 by the 13 senators who voted for him including Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who suddenly surfaced at the Senate after being absent for six months. 

Duque said Cayetano’s actions and that of the members of the majority negatively impacted public welfare.

In particular, he said Cayetano’s boycott derailed the passage of Senate Bill No. 1511 which effectively stalled the passage of the bill that would strengthen the protection of patients against hospital detention; SB No. 1905 or the bill granting security to Barangay Health Workers (BHWs); SB No. 1584 or the bill amending the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA); House Bill No. 6639 and HB No. 6644 or the naturalization bills for Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos; SB No. 2029, declaring the Waling-waling as a national orchid. 

The majority bloc’s boycott, Duque said, also effectively prohibited Senators Erwin Tulfo and Sherwin Gatchalian from raising pressing issues of national security, economic struggles or corruption that require immediate legislative intervention.

“Respondent Senate President Cayetano, in collusion with the other respondents, effectively shut down the operations of the Senate plenary without legal authority,” he said citing Rule XIV, Section 41 of the Rules of the Senate.

He also accused Cayetano, and the rest of the members of the majority bloc of committing abuse of institutional composition, violating Rule 1, Section 3 of the Rules of the Senate.

“This rule dictates that the operations of the Senate must be preserved at all costs to serve the electorate,” he said.

Also, Duque said Cayetano’s group committed a breach of quorum mandate. “The deliberate, coordinated absence of the respondents was explicitly calculated to break this constitutional requirement,” he said.

“While a minority group on the floor may adjourn from day to day or compel the attendance of absent members, a Senate president and his ruling majority cannot lawfully abandon their post to prevent a quorum from being formed, thereby, holding the entire legislative branch hostage for a factional or political shield strategies,” he said.