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MANILA, Philippines — The official organization of lawyers in the country has invoked a 1949 landmark Supreme Court decision in saying that the session held by the new Senate majority on June 3 was “lawful and valid.”
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Thursday stated its position on the issue by citing the case of Avelino v. Cuenco, the only ruling of the High Court so far that clarifies how a quorum can be constituted when a chamber of Congress is not in full attendance.
It said that the current debate between the two factions in the Senate had already been resolved by the Supreme Court ruling, which emphasized that 12 senators constituted a quorum when the late Sen. Tomas Confesor could not be compelled to attend the session because he was abroad at the time.
“This Avelino ruling emphasizes a practical approach: the Constitution should be interpreted in a way that allows the Senate to function and not be blocked by the absence of members who cannot realistically be made to attend,” the group said.
