Zubiri backs re-election bid of 6 senators, except Bam Aquino

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday vowed to support the reelection bid of his colleagues in the Senate, except for opposition Senator Bam Aquino.

At a regular forum in the Senate, Zubiri endorsed and gave his full support behind six senators —Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe and Koko Pimentel.

All six belong to the majority bloc in the Senate. Aquino is the lone opposition member seeking another term next year.

“Let’s call a spade a spade. When I ran in 2013, may tumulong ba sa akin na admin? Wala. Nangulelat kami sa pag iikot…,” Zubiri said.

Aquino’s cousin, Benigno Aquino III, was the president when Zubiri ran and lost in the 2013 elections.

Zubiri recalled how local officials refused him to campaign in their areas supposedly on Aquino administration’s order.

“This is politics. Ako I want to support the majority members, our bloc in the majority because they are ones who are helping me,” he said.

“Ganun talaga ang pulitika sa ating bansa (That’s the reality of politics in this country) so please don’t get mad at me if I go out and say the names of five or six senators pero hindi ko naman sisirain ang iba (But I’m not going to undermine the candidacy of others). Ganun lang naman ang politics (That’s the nature of politics),” the senator added.

Zubiri though said his father has committed to help Bam Aquino in the local level.

Also in endorsing Pimentel’s reelection bid, Zubiri said he believes that the former was qualified to seek another term.

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio has filed a disqualification case against Pimentel, saying the latter had already served two consecutive terms in the Senate.

READ: The disqualification case vs Koko Pimentel 

Pimentel replaced Zubiri in the Senate in 2011 after he won his electoral protest against the latter.

In 2013, Pimentel won another six-year term in the Senate.

“I’d like to put on record (that Sen. Pimentel) should be able to seek his next term. He should be able to run for his next term,” Zubiri said.

“He only occupied the last two years of his term… I believe he should be able to seek reelection,” the Majority Leader said, citing previous rulings of the Supreme Court./ac