Senate quorum petition junked

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by high school teacher John Barry T. Tayam seeking to declare the presence of 12 senators during a June 3 Senate session as a valid quorum, citing lack of legal standing.

In a statement, the SC en banc said it junked the petition filed by Mr. Tayam against Senators Alan Peter S. Cayetano, Pilar Juliana “Pia” S. Cayetano and Lorna Regina “Loren” B. Legarda.

The tribunal said Mr. Tayam failed to show that he suffered, or was at imminent risk of suffering, any direct injury from the actions he was challenging.

The case arose from a June 3 Senate session of the 20^th Congress where 12 senators in attendance proceeded to declare a quorum amid a leadership impasse, allowing the chamber to continue its proceedings. The move drew questions over whether such attendance met constitutional and procedural quorum requirements.

Mr. Tayam later sought to have the Supreme Court rule on the validity of the session, arguing that the participation of 12 senators was sufficient to constitute a quorum and validate the actions taken during the sitting. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez