Philippine Senate Opens 2nd Regular Session of 20th Congress

The Senate on Monday formally opened the second regular session of the 20th Congress, hours ahead of the penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian opened the session by pounding the gavel at the Senate plenary hall at 10:06 a.m, with 21 senators in attendance. Absent from the opening session were Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Rodante Marcoleta, and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Estrada and Marcoleta were detained over separate corruption charges while DSla Rosa has stayed out of public view following the issuance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him over his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war. Aside from the spouses, relatives, and staff of the senators, several Cabinet members and foreign dignitaries were also present at the Senate plenary hall. The Senate and the House of Representatives would later convene in a joint session at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City for Marcos’ SONA.—AOL, GMA News