Zubiri sees no rival for Senate presidency; sees independent bloc formed

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday said that he sees no rival for the Senate presidency and that an independent bloc may be formed in the upper chamber.

During a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Zubiri said he hoped that 20 members of the Senate majority bloc would vote for him.

“Thankfully wala naman tayong major rival and hopefully ‘yung dalawampung miyembro namin ng majority ay bumoto para sa akin bilang Senate President,” he said.

(Thankfully we don't have a major rival and hopefully, our twenty members of the majority will vote for me as Senate President.)

Zubiri then mentioned that he had a meeting with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano who would form an independent bloc in the 19th Congress.

“Kagabi nag-meeting kami nila Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano. There’s a situation baka apat ang hindi boboto sa akin and nag-meeting po kami nila Senator Alan at Pia and ang ganda ng meeting namin,” he said.

(Last night we had a meeting with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano. There's a situation where maybe four people won't vote for me, and we had a meeting with Senator Alan and Pia and our meeting ended well.)

“Ang pinagusapan namin baka manatili silang independent members of the Senate so they will not vote for me nor Senator Koko [Pimentel]… they will abstain from voting,” he added.

(We talked about how they might remain independent members of the Senate so they will not vote for me nor Senator Koko Pimentel... they will abstain from voting.)

Nevertheless, Zubiri said that the independent bloc would have its committees in the Senate.

“Pinagusapan na namin ni Senator Cayetano ang committees nila. Of course, we will give due respect as the members of Senate. Ang kagandahan po nito, we agreed na magtulungan,” he said.

(Senator Cayetano and I talked about their committees. Of course, we will give due respect as members of the Senate. The beauty of it is we agreed to work together.)

Senator Alan Peter earlier said he and his sister Senator Pia were willing to become independents and create a third bloc in the Senate as they remained undecided on whether to join the majority or the minority bloc.

“As I said nga, because we’re not fixated on the power or on the committee, kung hindi magkaayos, we’re willing to be independent,” Cayetano said in a press conference.

(As I said, because we’re not fixated on power or the committee, if we will not reach an agreement, we’re willing to be independent.)

According to Cayetano, the minority leadership may end in a draw should they join the minority bloc with Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Risa Hontiveros.

Pimentel previously disclosed that Hontiveros agreed to vote for him as the next Senate minority leader if other senators would not join the bloc. — DVM, GMA News