SC junks teacher's petition to declare June 3 Senate session valid

The Supreme Court dismissed Wednesday the petition filed by a high school teacher seeking to declare the Senate session on June 3, 2026, which vacated all seats and installed Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as the Senate President Pro Tempore, as legally valid and binding.

The SC said the petition filed by John Barry Tayam lacks legal standing.

"The SC ruled that Tayam failed to show that he suffered, or was at imminent risk of suffering, any direct injury from the actions he challenged," according to the press briefer.

In a 20-page petition for certiorari, Tayam sought the SC to:

• Declare that the physical presence and assembly of twelve (12) senators during the session of the 20th Congress on June 3, 2026, constituted a legally valid, binding, and constitutional quorum of the active, available membership of the Senate;
• Affirm the full legality and constitutional validity of all legislative actions, vacancy declarations, leadership elections, and committee reorganizations executed during the said session.

A quorum was declared during the June 3 Senate session after Senator Francis Escudero showed up, bringing the number of senators present to 12.

Citing the case of Avelino v. Cuenco, Gatchalian earlier said the Supreme Court had found that an absolute majority of 12 out of 22 members could constitute a constitutional majority for quorum purposes.

Senator Alan Cayetano, on the other hand, has insisted that he remains the “legitimate, legal, moral Senate President.”

GMA News Online reached out to the senators for comment and will publish their statements once available. —Llanesca Panti/AOL, GMA News