'Ito na siguro ang pinakamalalang Senado': Senate urged to do bare minimum, go to work

“Ito na siguro ‘yung pinakamalalang Senado na nakita natin kasi hindi naman natin nakita in the past na nagre-refuse mag-session ang Senate.” This is how Bantay Senado convenor Cleve Arguelles described the present Senate after majority senators refused to go to work for a second straight day. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said he is boycotting the Senate to assert the chamber’s independence from Malacanang, following the arrest of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on plunder charges. Minority senators have not joined the boycott, opting instead to go to the Senate and wait for their colleagues to show up. Arguelles said the Financial Executives of the Philippines has already issued a statement urging the Senate to go back to work. “Napaka-minimum na lang ng pinapanawagan ng mga tao ngayon. We’re not even advocating a specific legislation. Ang pinapanawagan ngayon, pwede po bang mag-trabaho kayo? Bumalik sa Senado at mag-sesyon kayo,” he said. Arguelles warned calls to replace Cayetano as Senate President could be used as an excuse to further delay the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. He added the Senate majority’s refusal to hold sessions could be a bid to buy more time as they think of ways to regain public trust. “Ang tingin ko sa Senate President at sa majority, they're buying time kaya dinedelay nila ‘yung sesyon kaya okay sa kanilang isakripisyo ‘yung trabaho in the meantime kasi kailangan nilang bumili ng oras,” he said. “Marami silang sinusubukang narrative. Una ‘yung no election scenario. Ngayon naman pinipigilan daw silang magpatawag ng isang Blue Ribbon committee hearing. Merong pag-e-experiment, pagte-test kung paano sila yayakapin ng publiko para kapag nag-sesyon sila, magagamit nila yun. Meron silang at least na baon laban sa minority but it looks like it’s not working.” For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgy6PGn5--qRRixkhltg5hE For more Breaking News & Live Coverage videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgG2ln-vtKXb-oLlGEZc3sR For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmjA30dKUQCDlG7vy38QQk-Y For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmiOw9mcoSbzoyp25AAZAAdn Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch full episodes on iWant for FREE here: https://iwanttfc.com Visit our website at https://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abscbnnews #ABSCBNNews #LatestNews