SENATE Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday confirmed that 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, on Monday, said 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,” the Senate leader said.

“Wala naman silang equipment sa bahay. So baka ‘yan wala din,” he said.

Senators have 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.MARLON PURIFICACION

SENATE President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson have decided to postpone their formal announcement of candidacies in the 2022 elections.

Sotto, in a message to Senate Reporters, explained they considered the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and the emergence of the COVID-19 Delta variant.

“Sen. Lacson and I have agreed to reschedule the launch event to a later date due to the new developments on the Covid 19 Delta variant in the country,” Sotto said.

“While we are dealing with a possible nationwide surge in the infection rate, we thought we thought it best to focus more on attending to our people’s health concerns and priorities than any other non-health related activities,” he added.

“It is a purely sensitivity issue, even considering that the event will be virtually presented,” Sotto further explained.

The two were supposed to launch their candidacy for Presidency and Vice Presidency on August 4.

Sotto said they are looking at moving their announcement to September 8.

“We will make the proper announcement on the new launch event date which will be most probably right after the ECQ,” he said.