MANILA — The Supreme Court has junked a petition filed by a public school teacher seeking confirmation of the validity of the June 3 Senate session, where a new leadership was installed, and a quorum was declared despite only 12 senators being present.
According to a statement from the Court’s Office of the Spokesperson on Wednesday, the petition was dismissed for lack of standing.
In his 20-page petition, John Barry Tayan argued that the attendance of 12 senators already met the constitutional requirement for a quorum. He invoked the Supreme Court’s 1949 ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco, claiming that senators who are beyond the Senate’s control or cannot be compelled to attend should be excluded from the total membership count used in determining quorum.
Tayan said his filing was motivated by “patriotism” and a concern to avoid confusion over Senate leadership. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that he failed to establish that he suffered—or was in immediate danger of suffering—any direct injury from the issue he raised.
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