Senate to conduct ‘F2F’ sessions, committee meetings
THE majority of the senators believed it’s “high time” to have face-to-face (F2F) sessions and committee hearings.
In a motion yesterday, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III opts for the Senate to now hold plenary sessions and committee hearings in person, rather than through teleconference, videoconference, or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means.
Sotto noted restrictions in the Philippines, agreeing with Majority Leader Juan Miguel Migs Zubiri’s observation that even children have been allowed to attend classes physically.
He stated that under Rule XIV, Section 41 of the Rules of the Senate, committees are allowed to conduct a hearing via a teleconference “due to force majeure or the occurrence of an emergency.”
In May 2020, during the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ in Metro Manila, the Senate adopted Resolution no. 43, which amended the Rules of the Senate to allow the conduct of hybrid plenary sessions and committee hearings.
Zubiri, who proposed the idea, opined that senators should physically be present in Senate proceedings noting that his own children would be attending their classes face to face starting June.
“Maybe it is time that we also do a face-to-face session,” Zubiri said.
The senator from Bukidnon noted that the chamber is not precluded from reinstalling the rule allowing the conduct of sessions and committee hearings via teleconference if necessary.
Most senators expressed no objections from their colleagues and ruled to suspend the said rule. By Camille P. Balagtas
