Joel Villanueva mulls joining minority bloc after Zubiri ouster

Senator Joel Villanueva is considering joining the Senate's two-man minority bloc following the change of leadership in the upper chamber.

The former majority leader floated this a day after Senator Francis Escudero replaced Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri as Senate president.

"Pwede akong mag-minority. Pinag-usapan din namin ni Senator Koko (Pimentel) 'yan. If others will join me, what's gonna happen and also I think we have enough time to decide on it," Villanueva said in an interview with reporters.

(I can join the minority. Senator Koko (Pimentel) and I have been talking about it.)

He was referring to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, but clarified that the talks on him joining the minority bloc is not yet final and the discussion is not formal yet.

Asked if it is possible for him to become a minority leader, Villanueva said, "everything is possible."

Currently, Villanueva said the new leadership is offering him committee chairmanship and he is also "studying that option."

Villanueva along with five other senators namely, Senators Loren Legarda, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, and JV Ejercito sticked with Zubiri when 14 of their colleagues chose to install Escudero as their new Senate president.

According to Villanueva, the seven of them decided to become "independent senators."

"We don't want to rush things. Mahirap din mag-decide na mataas yung emotion kasi hindi naman maikakaila na mataas ang emosyon and of course yung pagod and all," he said.

(It’s difficult to decide when emotions are running high because we cannot deny that it is and of course it’s tiring and all.)

In a separate interview with Zubiri, he said the seven of them decided to stay as a bloc.

"You can call us whatever you want. 'Magic 7' we're together. Buong-buo ang suporta namin sa isa't-isa. Hindi namin alam kung manatili kaming independent. Ang sabi nga namin, give it a break, so magbe-break muna kami," Zubiri said.

(Our support with each other is solid. We don’t know if we will remain independent. We told ourselves, give it a break so we will do that.)—RF, GMA Integrated News