SENATE Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday said they will not hold plenary sessions from August 9 to 11 as the government imposes anew the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila.

Zubiri said senators have agreed to suspend plenary sessions when the strictest quarantine protocol takes effect on August 6.

“Yes, that’s confirmed,” he said.

Metro Manila will be placed under ECQ from August 6 to August 20 to address the surge in COVID-19 cases due to its Delta variant. Following the announcement last Friday, Zubiri said they are mulling to suspend plenary sessions.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III explained last Saturday, July 31, that the chamber’s employees might encounter difficulties in commuting, even as they work on a skeletal schedule.

Zubiri said to the Senate leadership they will study whether or not to still push through with conducting hybrid committee hearings

“I’m checking about committee hearing kung pwede pa. Ang mahirap kasi sa hearings is we still need stenographers and of course they can’t come to the Senate. Wala naman silang equipment sa bahay. So baka ‘yan wala din,” he said.

Senators expressed support for the reimposition of the ECQ, but also appealed to national and local authorities to provide the much-needed assistance to families and workers who would be displaced by the repeated quarantine protocol.

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