Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri (2nd from left) poses for a photo with Senators (left to right) JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, and Joel Villanueva before confirming a move to remove him from the Senate leadership on Monday, May 20, 2024. (Photo taken at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City by MAILA AGER / INQUIRER.net)
MANILA Philippines — Senator JV Ejercito believes “somebody higher than the Senate” might have influenced his colleagues to replace former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Four days after the Senate shake-up on Monday, Ejercito pieced together the issues that later led to Zubiri’s “downfall.”
According to him, the coup rumor started last January when the Senate and the House traded barbs over the controversial people’s initiative for Charter change allegedly initiated by the lower chamber.
“It died down a bit, and then it was resuscitated during the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) leaks hearing recently,” Ejercito said in an interview over ANC’s “Headstart” on Thursday.
“And I would think it was because that was the last issue before Senate President Migz was replaced, and I think that was the final nail on the coffin, so to speak, on the leadership,” he said.
The alleged leaked PDEA documents linked prominent personalities, including President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and actress Maricel Soriano.
The Senate committee is investigating the issue on order, headed by former top cop and now Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Zubiri himself said he lost the Senate presidency for defending the committee chairmanship of Dela Rosa.
However, only after his removal from the Senate leadership did he find out Dela Rosa was one of 15 senators who backed the newly-installed Senate President Francis ”Chiz” Escudero.
“As to your question whether there were external forces behind, I would say so because as I mentioned I think all the senators know they had a freehand in everything. They were satisfied I would say,” Ejercito said.
“Ako masasabi ko sa kanila walang naging kasalanan si Migz Zubiri sa inyo bilang Senate President. Lahat ng inyong hiningi, lahat ng inyong ni-request pinagbigyan. All of you were able to do your own thing with your respective committees. So there was really no compelling reason to replace him,” he said.
(I can tell them Migz Zubiri has done nothing wrong to you as Senate President. He granted everything you asked for, every request you made. All of you could do your own thing with your respective committees. So there was no compelling reason to replace him)
Two days before Zubiri was removed from his post, Ejercito said they were still confident they had the support of the majority of 24 senators.
But suddenly, the “tides changed,” he said.
“We can just surmise, I don’t want to speculate or name anybody but I would think it will be somebody higher than the Senate to influence the minds and the positions of the senators for them to have a change of heart,” Ejercito said.
In the end Zubiri, was left with only six allies — Ejercito, Senators Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, and Sherwin Gatchalian.
Ejercito’s half-brother, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, already denied outside forces influenced the Senate leadership.
“Walang outside forces. It is just among our colleagues here,” he said.
Earlier, Escudero also admitted initiating the ouster move against Zubiri.