Estrada says at least 13 senators backing Escudero
SEN. Jinggoy Estrada yesterday Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero will retain his post as Senate president in the 20th Congress, saying that a resolution backing the latter has already been signed by “more than 13” senators.
In a phone patch interview with the Senate media, Estrada said: “We have enough numbers, more than 13, I suppose. And I think SP Escudero is secured of having his next term as Senate president.”
He said, though, that anything can still happen before senators elect their next leader on July 28, which is the opening of the 20th Congress.
“I hope they won’t change their minds,” he said, referring to those who have signed the resolution.
He did not divulge the names of the signatories.
Sen. Joel Villanueva last week said 13 senators are backing Escudero as Senate leader.
A senator needs the votes of at least 13 of the 24 senators for him or her to become Senate president.
The Senate president post is crucial in the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte because the chamber’s leader will act as the presiding judge of the impeachment court.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said the “veterans bloc” in the Senate is willing to become the minority bloc in case Sen. Vicente Sotto III is not elected as Senate president.
The bloc is composed of Zubiri, Sotto, and Senators Panfilo Lacson and Loren Legarda.
“We are just four. We are ready to become the minority,” Zubiri said in Filipino at the “Kapihan sa Senado” media forum.
He said their group is ready to take in Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who earlier said she is willing to become an “independent” member of the upper chamber.
Hontiveros, who was a member of the two-man minority bloc in the 19th Congress, has said that she is still in talks with Senators Francis Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno Aquino about their plans in the 20th Congress.
Zubiri said that while he has differences in opinion with Hontiveros on various issues, he believes they can work well together with her since they also share similar stands on various matters.
In backing Sotto’s bid to regain his old post, Zubiri said he believes that the former can bring back the old Senate practice that matters are first discussed in a caucus before they are brought to the plenary, among others.
Zubiri said the veterans bloc wants the Senate to have a new leader because of the unsatisfactory manner by which Escudero has been handling the affairs of the Senate.
“We are open to another third force. Maybe there is a dark horse out there who wants to stand up. Why not? We talked about this in our group. If there’s a dark horse that will come out that’s not necessarily us four, we’re willing to support. As long as he or she promises to be transparent and fight for the Senate’s integrity,” he added.
Zubiri hinted that senators backing Escudero may have been promised “the best committees that the Senate can offer.”
“It’s more of accommodation. I think many of them were given the best committees that the Senate can offer. Obviously, our selling point with our group is to be able to repair the image of the Senate and therefore, we want to make it more transparent, especially in dealing with the budget,” he said.
“We want to give the committees to those who are rightfully deserving because of their qualifications. Maybe (that’s) not sellable to the members of this new 20th Congress,” he added.
Estrada debunked Zubiri’s statement, saying Senate committees will be given to deserving senators, such as Sen. Mark Villar, a former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, who will lead the Committee on Public Works; Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who once headed the Department of Social Welfare and Development, who will get the Committee on Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development; and Aquino, an advocate of quality education, who will head the Committee on Basic Education.
He also said Pangilinan, an advocate of agricultural development, will do good as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, while Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who has also been scrutinizing the national budget, can chair the Committee on Finance.
He added that he has information that newbie Sen. Rodante Marcoleta will be named as chairperson of the powerful Blue Ribbon Committee.
