Zubiri elected Senate president as 19th Congress opens

Senators, on the opening of the 19th Congress on Monday, officially elected Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri as the new Senate president.

Twenty senators voted to install Zubiri as the chamber's head. Senator Joel Villanueva, in nominating Zubiri, described him as the "most qualified and eligible" for the post.

Senators Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, Grace Poe, and JV Ejercito followed Villanueva in nominating Zubiri.

In his acceptance speech, Zubiri thanked his colleagues for the trust and vowed to work hard as the new Senate chief.

"It is with humility that I accept this position. I do so conscious of the burden it carries, and committed to the work it entails," he said.
 
"As presiding officer, I may wield the gavel, but not the power of this institution. That power is shared by us all, by everyone of you and more so our main responsibility of responding to the needs of the people and respecting their will," he added.

The lawmaker mentioned the Senate's priorities such as the COVID-19, food, fuel, and fiscal crises. Apart from this, the people's trust to the government institutions is allegedly already "fading."

He promised to keep the Senate's independence which is the institution's "proud tradition."

"That is important because the Senate’s independence is the lynchpin of its two  other hallmarks: industry and innovation. Generations of our predecessors, whose names are etched on the wall leading to this hall, have exercised these to the benefit of our people," he said.
 
"The Senate, therefore, is not an office of 24 receiving clerks for executive proposals. We will improve what has been proposed to us as we initiate our own," he added.

Zubiri then prodded his colleagues to act on the urgent requests that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will ask Congress in his first State of the Nation Address.

"For sure, he will be asking Congress to support initiatives that will address the people’s clamor for jobs, bring down prices of basic goods, affordable food, humane transport, among other relief measures," he said.
 
"And when he enumerates them my dear friends, let us view them in the proper context: That this is not a presidential wish list he crafted on his own, but a president articulating what the people want. So, let us respond to what the people want, urgently," he added.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano have stated on record that they did not participate during the election of the Senate president.

Although by tradition those who did not take part in the election of the Senate president will be considered members of the minority, the Cayetano siblings said they will be "independent" senators in the 19th Congress.

Meanwhile, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III abstained during the election of Zubiri.

At the latter part of the session, Hontiveros designated Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III as the Senate minority leader.

Legarda was installed as Senate president pro-tempore. She was nominated by Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Ronald dela Rosa, and Poe.

The senators also elected Villanueva as the chairman of the Rules committee which automatically installs him as the Senate majority leader.

But before he was declared as the new majority leader, Senator Robin Padilla asked to put on record that he did not participate in the election of the majority leader. He did not expound his decision.

In a text message shared to reporters, Padilla said he will discuss with Villanueva his concerns.

"Pag-usapan po namin muna ni Majority Floor Leader ang isyu ko sa kanya," Padilla said.

In a chance interview after the session, Villanueva said he is not aware of Padilla's reason behind the latter's abstention but he is willing to discuss it with the neophyte senator.

He said there were speculations that he was tagged as a former member of the "opposition."

"Wala. I haven't talked to him about the reason. Everyone has the right to say their piece. It is just so surprising to everyone. Siguro hindi lang ako. Wala yatang senador na hindi nagulat because of the timing," he said.

"How I wish kung napag-usapan beforehand, mas maganda. Siguro that's my job now to talk about it sa mga members, especially for the newbies about these things even before or better to talk about it than immediately bringing it to the floor," he added.

Despite this, Villanueva said everything is good.

Asked if he was offended by Padilla's action, he said: "'Yung timing siyempre medyo lahat naman ng senador na-surprise (I think majority of the senators were surprised with the timing)."

Also elected was Atty. Renato Bantug Jr. as the Senate secretary.

Aside from the election of the Senate president, senators will also elect the chairpersons of the chamber's standing and special committees in the 19th Congress.—KBK, GMA News