SEN. Francis Escudero yesterday secured a fresh mandate as president of the Senate, winning the votes of 19 senators at the opening of the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress.
Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who was nominated by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri for the top Senate post, got five votes.
Sotto, by tradition, automatically assumed the position of minority leader.
Among those who voted for Escudero were Senators Sotto, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Francis Pangilinan, Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Manuel Lapid.
The so-called Duterte bloc — composed of Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Christopher Go, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta and Robin Padilla — also cast their votes for Escudero.
Members of the so-called siblings bloc likewise supported Escudero. These included Senators Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano; Raffy and Erwin Tulfo; Camille and Mark Villar; as well as stepbrothers Jose Estrada and Juan Victor Ejercito.
On the other hand, Sotto was backed by Senators Escudero, Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, and Loren Legarda.
During the oath-taking ceremony, Escudero was joined by his two children and his wife, actress and fashion influencer Heart Evangelista.
Estrada was elected Senate president pro tempore, the chamber’s second highest post, a post which he also held during the Third Regular Session of the 19th Congress.
During his oath-taking, Estrada invited Ejercito to join his family at the rostrum. The two are sons of former president Joseph Estrada. Estrada’s mother is former senator Luisa Ejercito, while Ejercito’s mother is former San Juan mayor Guia Gomez.
Villanueva was elected Majority Leader, a post which is in charge of the chamber’s legislative agenda and floor deliberations.
He also named concurrent chairperson of the Senate Committee on Rules.
‘RIGHT DIRECTION’
It was Villanueva who nominated Escudero for the Senate presidency.
In nominating him, Villanueva paid tribute to his work, including in the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“During a time when our institution was under attack because of conflicting views on impeachment, he stood his ground and guided the Senate in the right direction,” he said.
“Napakarami pong sinalag ni Senator Escudero para protektahan ang Senado. Hindi madaling harapin ang mga mapanghusgang mga komento, masasakit na mga batikos ng ilang mga kritiko, at minsa’y mga ‘below the belt’ na pag-atake lalo na sa social media pero hinarap niya ito nang may tapang subalit sa paraang mahinahon, matalino, at marespeto (Senator Escudero fought hard to protect the Senate. It is not easy to face discriminating comments, criticisms, and sometimes ‘below the belt’ attacks in social media but he handled them all calmly, intelligently and respectfully),” he added.
Gatchalian, Raffy Tulfo and Dela Rosa also stood up on the floor to second Escudero’s nomination.
FOCUS ON WORK
In a speech after his election as Senate leader, Escudero urged his colleagues to focus on their work and not get distracted by political noise and intrigues.
He said senators should throw away the colors of politics – whether they be red, blue, yellow, green, white, orange or pink – especially since the election period is over.
“For the sake of our people, it is time we trade the colors of our campaigns for the colors of our country. In place of the colors that divide us, let us embrace the colors that truly matter. The colors that define who we are as a nation, the colors on the flag that hangs before us,” he said.
He said senators should work together to tackle and help resolve the ills plaguing the nation.
“At the end of the day, we must work together to find common ground and common cause – to find common solutions to our common problems,” he said.
“Hiling at panawagan ko sa mga kapwa ko Senador: mag-trabaho tayo sa kabila ng ingay ng pulitika. Dahil lahat tayo, nasa iisang bangka. At isang direksyon lamang ang ating tinatahak: tungo sa pagkamit ng mga pangarap, hangarin, mithiin, at layunin ng ating mga kababayan (I am appealing to my fellow senators: let us work amid the political nous. We are all on the same boat. We are headed towards one direction: towards the dreams, goals, and desires of our countrymen),” he added.
Among the pressing problems that Escudero said Filipinos want the Senate to find solutions on how to put food on their tables, roofs on their heads, and sufficient paychecks in their pockets, to lower the cost of living, to open doors of opportunity, provide meaningful jobs, support small businesses, and to support farmers.
He added there is also a need to write a national syllabus for the country’s basic education sector, provide an affordable health care system, and to secure the streets from illegal drugs and crime and ensure that justice is accessible and served swiftly and fairly to all.
Escudero also cited the need to defend the country’s borders, adapt to climate change, help Filipinos affected by calamities and natural disasters, and to fight graft and corruption.
“Ultimately, every act we take, every law we make, must pass a single test: Makakatulong ba ito sa ordinaryong Pilipino (Will this help ordinary Filipinos),” he said.
“This is our duty. This is our mandate. At inuulit ko: magtrabaho tayo! (I repeat: let us all work!)” he added.
MINORITY
Hontiveros formally joined the minority bloc after her earlier bid to form an independent bloc fell through.
“I will be part of the minority,” she said in a press conference before the session. “I am at peace with that. Even in the minority, I will continue to work and to stand firm in my convictions.”
She vowed to remain an “independent-minded” lawmaker despite joining the minority group.
In the 19th Congress, the opposition was composed only of Hontiveros and former senator Aquilino Pimentel III.
