Zubiri is new Senate President

MANILA, Philippines —  Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri  was officially  installed as Senate President on Monday. 

At the opening  day of the 19th Congress, Zubiri was  unanimously elected Senate president  by  his colleagues  after six  of 24 senators  nominated him for the post.

The six who nominated  Zubiri for the top Senate post were Senators Joel Villanueva, Loren Legarda,   Jinggoy Estrada,  Grace Poe, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa,  and JV Ejercito.

“This institution must serve the Filipino people, and with Senator Zubiri at its helm, steering and charting its course, it can do much more,”  Villanueva  said.

He also  described  Zubiri  as “the most qualified and eligible”  to lead the upper chamber.

“For the above reasons and more, I nominate the gentleman from Bukidnon, Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, as our next Senate President,” he then said.

No one objected when Villanueva  later moved to elect  Zubiri  as the new Senate leader.

Senator Pia Cayetano and her  brother, Alan Peter Cayetano, later took the floor and manifested that they did  not participate in the voting as they opted to become independent.

Senators  Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel  III and  Risa Hontiveros said they also abstained  from the voting. 

Before assuming his new  post, Zubiri served as the Senate Majority Floor Leader in the 18th Congress.  

He was elected  Senate President Pro Tempore  before Congress  adjourned last June 4 to  ensure the continued discharge of powers and duties of the Senate leadership until the opening of a new Congress.

After winning his  reelection bid in the last May senatorial  race, Zubiri was among those immediately  mentioned as  one of the possible contenders for the top Senate post.

Senator  Cynthia  Villar was also reportedly eyeing the position but later declared her support for Zubiri’. 

“A united Senate is a productive one. From the very beginning, I’ve always wanted to form a supermajority in the Senate, so I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart Ma’am Cynthia Villar,”  Zubiri then said.

Key positions in the  Senate had  also been filled up and announced even during the adjournment of Congress following separate meetings with various  blocs in the  upper chamber.

Legarda, for instance, was already named then as Senate President Pro Tempore while  Villanueva is the new Senate Majority Leader.

gsg