The third and final regular session of the Senate resumes on the same day as Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26 (Monday).
The Senate majority floor leader, Juan Miguel Zubiri, on Monday (July 19) said that the third regular session of the Senate would still be conducted through hybrid or online setup due to the Covid-19 pandemic’s impending danger to the members of the Senate.
“Mas pabor po ako na maibalik po natin sa face-to-face [ang sessions]. Pero naiintindihan ko naman, may mga kasama tayo na senior citizens. Yung mga “super senior” ika nga, na over 70 years old, na natatakot lalong-lalo na dito sa delta variant,” said Zubiri in a Laging Handa government briefing.
(I am in favor of returning to face-to-face sessions. But I understand that we have members who are senior citizens. The “super senior” as what they call, who are over 70 years old, who is worried especially to the delta variant)
Zubiri also said that the 18th Congress would have an executive session after the day of Duterte’s SONA to talk about their plans before the filing of candidacies in October and their remaining three months as members of the Senate.
The Senate opened the second regular session on July 27, 2020 and adjourned on June 3, 2021. Ariel Jack Tejado II