Zubiri bloc eyes one-fourth of seats in each Senate committee

Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Monday said he and his Senate allies called the "Solid 6" will demand that they compose one-fourth of the membership of each committee in the Senate.

The former Senate president made the remark as he announced that they will stay as "independent" members of the majority bloc.

"What is important is the membership kasi anim kami, eh. So, we are one-fourth of the Senate. So we're requesting sana in the committees, dapat one-fourth of the committee memberships will be given to our bloc as well," Zubiri said.

(What is important is the membership because there are six of us. So we are one-fourth of the Senate. So, we're requesting that one-fourth of the committee memberships will be given to our bloc as well.)

Zubiri, who was replaced by Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero as Senate president in May, said former ex-officio members who are part of the "Solid 6"—namely former Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, former Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and former Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito—have no committee memberships as of the moment.

"We will request that tomorrow in the caucus. Since we form one-fourth of the Senate, we will request one-fourth of the membership of each committee," he said.

Asked why the "Solid 6" decided to remain to be part of the majority bloc despite his ouster, Zubiri said they do not want to have their group dissolved.

"We remain to be a working bloc in the Senate but also an independent bloc in the Senate. But we're part of the majority hindi naman kami magma-minority. Hindi naman kami mag-o-opposition. So we will help while we can help and if we need to criticize, we'll criticize. When we need to improve the measures, we will improve it," he said.

(We remain to be a working bloc in the Senate but also an independent bloc in the Senate. But we're part of the majority, and we're not part of the minority. We're not in the opposition either. So we will help while we can help and if we need to criticize, we'll criticize. When we need to improve the measures, we will improve it.)

"Alam mo naman kaming seatmates, kami magkasama nu'ng 17th, 18th Congress... So, we stay together... Ayaw namin mabuwag 'yung grupo namin e. Napakahalaga ng grupo namin and the six of us," Zubiri said.

(You know, my seatmates and I were together in the 17th, 18th Congress... So, we stay together... We don't want our group to break apart. This group and the six of us are very important.)

The "Solid 6" bloc was formed after Zubiri was replaced by Escudero as Senate president. Its members include Zubiri, Legarda, Villanueva, Ejercito, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay.

Then-senator Sonny Angara was part of the bloc but he resigned from his elective post following his appointment as Education secretary, which Malacañang announced earlier this July. — VDV, GMA Integrated News