Manila: Former Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday pushed back against claims that the Supreme Court's dismissal of public school teacher Barry Aquino Tayam's petition on the Senate quorum issue weakened the legal basis for recognizing 12 senators as a valid quorum. In a Viber message to reporters, Sotto stated that the High Court did not rule against the 12-member quorum position but merely found no need to take up Tayam's petition.

According to Philippines News Agency, Sotto clarified that some people misunderstood the situation, emphasizing that the petition was deemed non-justiciable, therefore eliminating the necessity for the Supreme Court to address it. Sotto argued that critics were incorrect in treating the dismissal as evidence against the validity of the 12-of-23 argument.

The quorum debate originated from the June 3 Senate session, where 12 senators participated in proceedings despite objections from the opposing bloc. Sotto's faction referenced the 1949 Supreme Court ruling in Avelino v. Cuenco to support their stance that 12 senators might constitute a quorum under specific circumstances.