Lack of Senate quorum results in ‘walkout’ by envoys

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate appeared to have embarrassed itself in front of foreign diplomats on Thursday after it fell short of the one vote required to ratify three extradition treaties being monitored by the envoys.

Senate rules require 16 votes for the ratification of a foreign treaty and the chamber is the sole government body tasked to ratify such agreements.

Only 15 senators showed up in the session hall and not all at the same time. They included acting Senate President Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan, Loren Legarda, Edgardo Angara, Pia Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Aquilino Pimentel III, Joker Arroyo, Teofisto Guingona III, Panfilo Lacson, Sergio Osmeña III, Manny Villar, Francis Pangilinan and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Apparently sensing that the session was coming to nothing, the diplomats left after 5 p.m.

The Senate was supposed to ratify extradition treaties with Spain, India and the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on Wednesday but the sudden announcement of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile that he was resigning upset the chamber’s schedule.

At 4:40 p.m., Sotto acknowledged the presence of Indian Ambassador Amit Dasgupta, second secretary of the British embassy’s bilateral and strategic communications Colin Glen and head of the British embassy political section Stephen Lysaught.

Addressing the diplomats seated in the VIP section, Sotto said he counted 14 senators at the time but they still needed two members to ratify the extradition treaties. Trillanes and Pangilinan were the last to arrive.