Key facts
- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the Senate to resume legislative duties.
- The Senate is paralyzed by a divide between majority and minority blocs.
- No plenary sessions have been held recently due to skipped attendance by majority members.
- Marcos stated the government is considering a supplemental budget to combat rising energy prices.
- The legislative deadlock is causing programs to stall and investments to be delayed.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on the Senate to return to work, expressing dismay over the legislative deadlock that has stalled urgent duties ahead of a congressional break. The Senate has been paralyzed by a growing rift between its majority and minority blocs, following calls for Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to resign. The lack of plenary sessions and stalled legislation are preventing the government from providing necessary assistance to citizens and addressing issues like rising energy prices, for which a supplemental budget is being considered. Marcos criticized the situation as discrediting leadership and stopping essential legislative business. The breakdown reportedly began when Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa cast a decisive vote to install Cayetano as Senate President just as an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was to be received. Cayetano, an ally of the Duterte family, stated the Senate was ready for priority bills but the executive branch was not. Experts warn that the impasse creates a sense of chaos, negatively impacts investor confidence, and leads to stalled programs and delayed investments.