14 senators sign statement of support for Zubiri leadership

MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen of 24 senators have signed a statement reiterating their “resolute and unqualified support” for the leadership of Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.

The senators who signed the statement of support are:

• Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda
• Majority Leader Joel Villanueva
• Sherwin Gatchalian
• Sonny Angara
• JV Ejercito
• Grace Poe
• Nancy Binay
• Lito Lapid
• Raffy Tulfo
• Mark Villar
• Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
• Francis Tolentino
• Christopher “Bong” Go.

Zubiri himself also signed the resolution.

“We stand firm behind the leadership of Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri, under whose guiding hand the Senate has maintained its dignity and independence as one of our nation’s greatest bulwarks of democracy,” they said in a statement obtained by INQUIRER.net. on Monday.

According to them, the Senate has become “one of the most harmonious in recent history” because of Zubiri’s “consensus-building and consultative leadership.”

“He shapes the direction of the Senate not with the force of an autocrat, but with the wisdom of a true leader-one who listens, and builds bridges of trust and cooperation,” they also said.

They also cited Zubiri’s “decisive handling of the divisive issue” of the controversial people’s initiative, which the Senate strongly opposed because of a joint voting proposal attached to it.

Senators earlier argued that voting jointly on constitutional amendments would render the Senate powerless as the House of Representatives composed of more than 300 members could easily outvote the 24 senators.

“Now more than ever, the chamber needs to rally behind a leader who is untainted by corruption or conflict-of-interest, as attempts to discredit the Senate are being used to anchor proposals that would render the institution irrelevant,” the senators said.

Ejercito said other senators  will also sign the  statement of support.

“Out of the country ang iba, dami absent. Madadagdagan pa yan,” he said in a message to reporters.

(Some are out of the country, many are absent. That will increase.)

Meanwhile,  10 senatorsdid not sign the statement of support: Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, and Cynthia Villar

The remaining two belong to the opposition: Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

Sen. Marcos earlier confirmed an alleged attempt to change the Senate leadership.

“Oo (Yes), there’s a lot of pressure to change Migz Zubiri,” Marcos said in an interview at the Senate.

“It’s all coming from outside the Senate, not within the Senate. So strange,” Marcos added.