MANILA — Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and JV Ejercito on Monday said they were joining the minority bloc.
Zubiri, during the Senate plenary session, said he received backlash for “fence sitting,” after he abstained in the latest election that thrust Alan Peter Cayetano into the Senate presidency.
“Nag-abstain lang ako para I have a free hand to vote on which issue that I think is important for the Filipino people,” Zubiri said.
“But when it comes to the organization, I would like to associate myself with the minority,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ejercito expressed gratitude for the “trust and honor that I was offered to become the majority leader,” but said he will also be part of the minority bloc.
“As of this time, I’d rather maintain my independence and with what is happening all over, I think I would be able to perform my task very well and my programs very well as an independence,” Ejercito said.
“For now, I’ll be with the minority, but again I would like to thank [Cayetano] for that and we will still be friends no matter what,” he added.
Zubiri and Ejercito joined the 11-member minority bloc led by Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. Other members include Senators Bam Aquino, Win Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Kiko Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, and Raffy Tulfo.
Cayetano was elected Senate president Monday last week by 13 senators, including Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who had been absent from Senate proceedings for six months.
The leadership change took place hours before the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte. Cayetano has denied that the leadership change is connected to the impeachment case.
The Senate Monday convened an impeachment court, five days after it received the articles of impeachment last Wednesday, at the same time when chaos erupted at the Senate premises following a series of gunshots.
Senate convenes as impeachment court for Sara Duterte trial
San Beda Graduate School of Law Dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino warned the public to pay attention to how Cayetano presides over the impeachment proceedings.
He said the senators’ decisions on the case cannot be predicted based on their factions, “because it also all depends on the way the prosecutors do their job and the way the defense handles the defense.”
Aquino said he hopes all senators, not only the minority, want the impeachment case to proceed.
Cayetano has vowed that the Senate will follow the law and the Constitution in tackling the impeachment complaint against Duterte.
He also assured the public that the Senate impeachment trial would be a "fair and independent" process and that senators will decide based on evidence.
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