THE Senate presidency will be decided by majority of the senators when the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress opens on Monday next week, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said yesterday.
Escudero said the resolution supposedly signed by at least 18 senators supporting his retention as Senate leader is not enough since senators need to vote on the matter on July 28.
“May numero man ngayon o wala, uulitin ko: Ang magpapasya niyan ay sa pagbubukas mismo ng Senado dahil doon lamang bibilangin yung boto bilang pagsuporta sa bagong Senate president (Whether I now have the numbers or not, the matter will be decided when the 20th Congress formally opens because that will be the time when the votes will be counted for the new Senate president),” he said in a chance interview during the unveiling of the new Senate Legacy Wall.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has earlier said that a resolution backing Escudero to retain the top Senate post in the incoming 20th Congress is being routed among the senators.
His half-brother, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, said 16 to 18 senators have expressed their support for Escudero.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa has said that the “Duter-7” or the seven senators allied with former president Rodrigo Duterte are backing Escudero.
Escudero said it is best to wait for July 28 when senators vote for the Senate president.
“Hintayin na lang natin, hindi naman dini-discuss yung resolution o pini-prisinta yung reolusyon eh. Botohan by show of hands ang nangyayari sa Senado (Let’s just wait because that resolution will not be discussed or presented, anyway. We vote for the Senate president by [raising] our hands),” he said.
Escudero also said committee chairmanships will only be discussed once the new Senate leader is elected.
He said nothing is certain yet as to the committee chairmanships despite reports that some senators have already been assigned their preferred panels.
The race for the Senate presidency is between Escudero and Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who was the Senate president during the 18th Congress.
Former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri has said that the “veterans’ bloc,” which is composed of himself, Sotto and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, and Manuel “Lito” Lapid, are backing Sotto’s bid.
