SOLID BLOC 11: THIS IS NOT SENATE INDEPENDENCE BUT A BOYCOTT OF DUTY
The Solid Bloc 11 minority senators were present today for the 5 p.m. resumption of session, ready to work, ready to vote on pending bills and ready to keep the Senate running, but the majority led by SP Cayetano chose not to show up.
They did not even have the courtesy to inform us when they ignored the rules, and could not extend the basic decency of telling the minority that they had no intention of convening.
Let us focus on the work, because the Senate has serious business before it, and if the majority wants to protest, deliver privilege speeches or defend its position, the proper place to do that is on the floor, not by making the chamber stand still.
Ang Senado ay hindi pag-aari ng iisang may hawak ng gavel. Institusyon ito ng taumbayan at napakadaming mahalagang panukala ang nabibinbin dahil sa drama ng mayorya.
Important measures were left hanging because of the majorityβs boycott, including the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, the Anti-Hospital Detention Bill, the confirmation of generals before the Commission on Appointments and the bills granting Philippine citizenship to Bennie Boatwright III and Matthew James Ramos.
Let us call this for what it is: the claim that this is about Senate independence is false, because what happened today was about the rule of law, public accountability and a lawful process before the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan that no senator, no bloc and no presiding officer controls.
This is a boycott because of the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and the public should not be asked to believe another convenient line from a leadership that has repeatedly twisted the truth.
Today was a step toward accountability in a controversy that the public has long demanded action on, and after years of people asking why nothing was happening in flood control investigations, it is unacceptable to suddenly call the rule of law an attack on the Senate.
Is Senate President Alan Cayetano now questioning the rule of law?
Sa totoo lang, ang gusto nila ay kampihan, hindi prinsipyo. Gusto nila sumama kami sa boycott, patahimikin ang Senado at gamitin ang minority para manatili ang Senate President sa puwesto habang iniiwasan ang tunay na test of numbers sa floor.
This may be the first time in decades that Senate work stopped because the presiding officer himself refused to work, because even during typhoons and the height of the pandemic, work was suspended only because of necessity or because systems still had to be set up, not because the leadership chose a boycott of duty.
The public has every right to ask whether SP Cayetano is repeating what he did in the House of Representatives, when questions were raised about a leader refusing to step aside, refusing to convene and holding up proceedings when the numbers were no longer certain.
The question now is just as serious: will they do this again for the next two session days, and will they keep the Senate idle simply to avoid facing the numbers on the floor?
The Senate should open its doors, call the session to order and return to work, because no Facebook post, no appeal to institutional pride and no political drama can erase the basic duty of senators to show up, follow the law and serve the people.
And lastly, we call on the Filipino people to watch the Senate closely, because when an institution refuses to work, public vigilance becomes the peopleβs first line of defense.
THE CASES OF MAGIC 13 πͺ
Escudero - plunder, graft
Villanueva - plunder
Estrada - plunder, malversation
Marcoleta - plunder
Villar siblings - market manipulation/insider trading
Go - co-perpetrator/ICC
Dela Rosa - ICC
Padilla - obstruction of justice
GOD SAVE THE PHILIPPINES!
Grabe. Ang pinakasukdulan talaga ay yung tangang mayabang.
Maipasok lang ang sariling katwiran, gagamitin na ang batas na parang goma β iuunat, pipilipitin, babaluktutin β para lang mapaboto ang katotong pinaghahanap ng hustisya.
Sorry, patola ako ngayon, kasi hindi ko talaga kayang unawain kung bakit tayo nagbabayad ng buwis para paswelduhin ang mga ganito.
Hindi na nga sumusunod sa batas, ipinagyayabang pa ang kamangmangan. Excuse po ba sila sa Constitution? May special lane ba ang katangahan sa Senado?
Indeed, the punishment of wise men is to be ruled by unwise men. Pero marami sila, kaya βmenβ na rin. Collective noun na yata ang kabobohan.
At kung maiinis kayo dahil kesyo nagmamarunong ako, i-block nβyo na ako. Walang pilitan dito. Hindi ko obligasyong gawing daycare ang wall ko para sa mga allergic sa common sense.
Hindi tayo uunlad sa ganitong klaseng pag-iisip: yung mali na nga, ipinipilit pa; yung batas na nga, ginagawang suggestion; yung accountability na nga, ginagawang favor sa tropa.
Kaya please, trolls at DDS, huwag muna kayong magtambay sa wall ko. Bad trip ako today. π‘
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on the rumored change in leadership β βBuo yung 13. Sa 13 walang onsehan.β
There are currently 13 senators in the majority bloc. | via @victoriatulad
#SciFeature ππ’πͺ ππ₯πππ‘ ππ₯π π§ππ π¦π’π¨π§ππππ¦π§ ππ¦πππ‘ πππ£ππ§πππ¦?
As Southeast Asiaβs capital cities continue to experience rapid urbanization and population growth, how much lush greenery still remains within these expanding urban landscapes?
Hereβs a visualization showing how much of the capital cities are still covered with forests, grasslands, or with considerable vegetation as of 2025, based on the latest update from the Esri Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover data.
Greenery coverage across the 10 ASEAN capital cities varies greatly. Naypyidaw and Vientiane remain among the greenest, while densely populated capitals such as Jakarta and #Manila are already heavily built up with buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.
Urban forests and vegetation play a crucial role in reducing heat, improving air quality, and protecting water resources, helping make cities more livable and resilient.
Long-term efforts, such as in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, to restore and expand green spaces are already delivering benefits to residents, from cooler surroundings to healthier urban environments. #urban #environment #ASEAN