Sotto: Senate will resume plenary sessions on Monday
August 20, 2021 03:20 PM
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III says the Senate is gearing up to resume its sessions on Monday after two weeks of no meetings.
"I will convene on Monday [whether] they extend [the ECQ] or not. We are very delayed as it is, in our legislative agenda."
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto announced that the Senate's plenary sessions will finally recommence regardless of Metro Manila's next quarantine status.
"I will convene on Monday [whether] they extend [the ECQ] or not. We are very delayed as it is, in our legislative agenda," said Sotto.
The statement came after nearly two weeks of inactivity, when the Senate, as well as the House of Representatives, halted their sessions due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), which is the strictest lockdown status in the country.
The whole NCR and neighboring cities were put under ECQ after a sudden rise in COVID cases.
Sotto made the decision to resume session after senators have expressed their worries that the chamber might not have enough time to review and pass priority bills.
Several lawmakers will be occupied with deliberations for the next year's national budget in September, while others are expected to file their certificates of candidacy in October for the 2022 elections.
The Senate chief said that if ECQ is extended once again in Metro Manila, the upper chamber may start its plenary sessions earlier than usual so the Senate staff can make it home before curfew hours.
As of today (August 19), the national government has not yet announced any updates regarding Metro Manila's new quarantine status as the ECQ is set to end tomorrow, August 20.
