Sen. Chiz Escudero made a surprise appearance at the Senate plenary on Wednesday, June 3, amid the absence of the members of his fellow majority bloc senators.
The former Senate president attended the upper chamber following allegations linking him to a plunder case related to the flood control controversy, in which he is among the officials accused of allegedly receiving kickbacks.
Escudero has since denied the accusations, describing them as “materially inconsistent.”
After the allegations surfaced, he has remained out of the public eye until his latest appearance in the Senate session.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo said Escudero does “not believe in what they are fighting for,” referring to the Senate majority bloc.
“He believes na ‘yung kanilang ipinaglalaban ay mali po. Na ‘yung kanilang pagbo-boycott ay para ipagtanggol lamang ang ilan sa mga kasamahan nila,” Tulfo said.
Escudero has been associated with the former majority bloc, whose members, including Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, have not been attending Senate sessions since June 1.
The development came after Sen. Jinggoy Estrada‘s arrest on plunder charges related to the flood control scandal. It marks the third time he has been involved in a high-profile case since the 2000s.
Several legislative measures were left pending following the bloc’s absence, including bills granting Philippine citizenship to Filipino-American wrestler Matthew James Ramos and San Miguel import Bennie Boatwright III.
Some military officials were also reportedly concerned their ad interim appointments could expire if the Senate impasse continued.
Following Escudero’s appearance, the Senate declared a quorum, allowing it to resume sessions with 12 senators present on the floor.
A quorum is the minimum number of senators required for the Senate to officially conduct business, such as passing bills, holding hearings, or making formal decisions
The resumption of Senate sessions led to the declaration of all chamber positions vacant, paving the way for a reorganization.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected Senate President Pro Tempore and assumed the role of presiding officer.
Escudero’s appearance also drew reactions from the public, including veteran broadcaster Karen Davila, who expressed relief that the senators can “have some work done before ‘sine die’.”
What a stealth move.
A quorum made possible with Sen Chiz Escudero’s surprise appearance.
What happens now to SP Alan Cayetano’s leadership with these new committee chairmanships?
At least today, the senate can have some work done before ‘sine die’.
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) June 3, 2026
The session concluded with Gatchalian declaring the adjournment sine die of the upper chamber.
“Sine die” is a legal term for “indefinitely,” according to Escudero.
It is Latin for “without day” and refers to the final adjournment of a legislative body, indicating no further meetings are scheduled.
Escudero further explained it in a video released during his term on June 27, 2025.
“Ibig sabihin nun, mag-a-adjourn ang Senado hindi hanggang sa takdang petsa. Walang petsang ibibigay kaugnay sa kung kailan mag-re-resume muli ang Senado,” he said.
“Nangyayari ito minsan lamang kada isang taon bago mag-adjourn ang Senado para tanggapin ang State of the Nation Address ng ating pangulo,” Escudero added.
The legislative calendar sets June 5 as the sine die adjournment of Congress.
The next time they can convene will be after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s penultimate State of the Nation Address on July 27.
— with reports from Interaksyon/Rosette Adel, Philstar.com/Kristine Daguno-Bersamina
