Manila: The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by a teacher seeking to validate the presence of 12 senators as a 'valid quorum' during the Senate session held on June 3.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that John Barry T. Tayam, a high school teacher from Las Pi±as, lacked the legal standing to challenge the claims made by Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, and Loren Legarda. These senators had asserted that the session on June 3 was invalid due to the absence of the required 13 senators to form a quorum.

In his petition, Tayam requested the Supreme Court to affirm the full legality and constitutional validity of all legislative actions taken during the session, including vacancy declarations, leadership elections, and committee reorganizations. However, the court found that Tayam did not demonstrate any direct injury or imminent risk of suffering from the actions he contested.

The session on June 3 was conducted by the Senate minority bloc after Senator Chiz Escudero, who is part of the majority bloc led by Alan Peter Cayetano, arrived, resulting in a 12-member quorum. This quorum led to the election of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as the Senate President Pro Tempore and acting Senate president. The reorganization also involved appointing Senator Erwin Tulfo as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee.