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AMID AN IMMINENT change in the Senate leadership, legislators forming part of the “not so new Duterte bloc” have yet to decide as to who they intend to back-up in time for the opening of the 20th Congress in June.
According to Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, a close ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, the bloc is not out to replace the current Senate President.
He however hinted at efforts to consolidate the Upper Chamber’s mandated tasks and responsibilities in the next Congress.
When asked to elaborate, Dela Rosa told reporters that while they have yet decided on who among the senate wannabes they would support, the former Philippine National Police chief said that “there’s no problem with Senate President Francis Escudero.
“Wala, wala. Wala. So far so good naman kami. Wala naman kaming problema,” averred Dela Rosa who admitted “exchanging text messages” with the Senate President.
He, however, declined to provide details.
Notably though, Dela Rosa insisted that neither the forming the Duterte bloc nor establishing rapport with the senate leadership has anything to do with the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
AMBITIOUS ONES
Aside from Escudero, Dela Rosa dropped other names whom he claimed as fit and qualified for the top Senate post — Vicente Sotto III, Alan Peter Cayetano and Juan Miguel Zubiri.
“Basta mag-uusap pa kami, iyong bloc namin. Hindi kami maka-come up ng final decision dahil nandoon pa sa abroad ang kasamahan namin si Sen. Robin Padilla,” he added.
“I am sure mayroon pang iba d’yan na nag-aambisyon. Mayroon pang iba d’yan.”
Aside from Dela Rosa, other members of the bloc include the President’s sister Imee Marcos, Pardilla, Sen. Bong Go and former House Deputy Speaker and senator-elect Rodante Marcoleta.
Also joining the bloc (unofficially though) is senator-elect Camille Villar-Genuino.
Dela Rosa said they have yet to talk with Sotto and Panfilo Lacson. Both ran and won under the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Notably though, Dela Rosa insisted that neither the forming the Duterte bloc nor establishing rapport with the senate leadership has anything to do with the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“No, hindi na yan magiging factor kasi immaterial na ‘yan. Titignan natin dito sa individual members of the Senate,” he noted.
IMPEACHMENT
The former PNP chief maintained that the impeachment trial against VP Sara should not push through.
“Mas maganda sana kung hindi na matuloy para maka-focus kami sa mga (. . .) development efforts para sa ating bansa at hindi (tayo) magkawatak-watak. Mas maganda sana kung hindi matuloy.”
For his part. Zubiri in a Facebook post enthused: “Sa usap-usapan ngayon kung sino dapat maging bagong Senate President ay sana maalala nila ito—that the Senate is the last bastion of democracy as history has shown and the independence must always be upheld.”