IF the 20th Congress convenes today and the Senate elects its new leader, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero would get the vote of majority of his colleagues, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito yesterday said during the “Kapihan sa Senado” media forum.
Ejercito said that the number of senators who have signed the resolution backing Escudero’s bid to retain the post of Senate president has increased to around 16 to 18.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Monday disclosed that the resolution, which is supposedly being routed among senators, has been signed by at least 13 senators.
A senator needs only 13 votes to land the Senate top post.
Ejercito, who was the deputy majority leader when the 19th Congress adjourned, said that he signed the resolution weeks after the May 12 midterm elections.
“I think at this time, if it (election for the Senate president) could be tomorrow, si SP Chiz na magiging Senate president [will be the Senate president] … Definitely more than 15,” he said, referring to the number of signatories.
Ejercito said the resolution will be presented on the floor when the 20th Congress opens its First Regular Session on July 28.
“If there will be no resistance, we will have the election. Once a Senate president is elected, the losing senator will automatically be the minority leader. That’s the process),” he added.
Ejercito said he signed the resolution as a gratitude to Escudero for putting his trust and confidence on him when he became the deputy majority leader.
“As a courtesy and respect to Senate president Escudero, I have to stick it out with him. In the same manner that during the time of Sen. [Juan Miguel] Zubiri, I was one with him up to the time he was replaced as Senate president. We in the ‘seatmates’ bloc did not abandon him,” he said in Filipino.
The “seatmates” bloc was composed of Ejercito, Zubiri, and Senators Joel Villanueva, Loren Legarda, Sherwin Gatchalian, former senator Juan Edgardo Angara, who is now education secretary, and former senator and now Makati city mayor Nancy Binay.
SENATE ‘BLOCS’
Legarda is reportedly backing the Senate presidency bid of Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who served the post before he ran but lost for vice president during the 2022 elections.
Aside from Legarda, Senators Zubiri, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Manuel “Lito” Lapid are also backing Sotto. The group is called the “veterans bloc.”
Ejercito said the “siblings bloc” is backing Escudero. The group is composed of himself and his half-brother Estrada, Senators Raffy and Erwin Tulfo, Senators Mark and Camille Villar, and Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano.
Escudero is likewise backed by the “Duterte bloc,” which is composed of Senators Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, and Rodante Marcoleta are also rooting for Escudero.
Ejercito said he does not know who Sen. Imee Marcos will support, although is a known supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Ejercito said the senators supporting Escudero may come from different political parties and their stand on issues may differ, but they are all professionals who are willing to cross party lines for the sake of passing measures that will benefit the people.
He also said the Senate leadership will be fair in assigning committee chairmanships, saying the assignments will be based on the senator’s advocacy and know-how.
DEPUTY MAJORITY LEADER
Ejercito said he would likely be retained as the deputy majority leader, adding there are plans to make the position a regular one.
“I think the proposal is to make it an official office. So, it’s going to be institutional because unlike in the House, they have many [officials]. Here in the Senate we only have three – the Senate president, pro tempore, and majority leader. So, I think we need one more and I think this is what we will do to make it [deputy majority leader] a permanent office),” he said.
The deputy majority leader is an automatic ex-officio member of all committees, just like the Senate president, Senate president pro tempore, majority leader, and the minority leader.
