FILE PHOTO: Sen. Francis Escudero (left) and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri. | PHOTOS: Mark Pimentel/Senate PRIB and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri’s official Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — Current Senate chief Francis “Chiz” Escudero called on his predecessor, former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, to refrain from “lowering the flag” of the upper chamber.
Escudero’s remarks came after Zubiri’s supposed statement that “outside forces” were involved in the Senate’s leadership change last May 20.
“Sana bilang dating Senate President, itayo at huwag naman niyang ibaba ang bandila, ika nga, ng Senado sa pamamagitan ng pagsabi ng ganyan. Walang boto ang Malacañang sa 24 na botong meron sa Senado para maging Senate President [ang] sinuman,” said Escudero in an interview over DZRH.
(I hope that, as the former Senate President, he will raise and not lower the flag of the Senate by saying such things. Malacañang does not have a vote out of the 24 votes in the Senate for [the] Senate President.)
READ: Escudero: ‘Unfair’ to tag me as Palace lackey for replacing Zubiri
“That is an unfair accusation, to say the least,” he added. “Noong siya ay nagwagi at nanalo noong 2022, wala namang nag-akusa sa kanya doon. Tinayo namin ang bandera ng kamara at sinabing ito ay pasya at desisyon ng Senado.”
(When he won in 2022, no one accused him then. We raised the flag of the chamber and said it was the decision of the Senate.)
Escudero said the Senate shake-up last week was due to the “lack or absence of confidence” in Zubiri’s leadership.
READ: Zubiri quits as Senate President: ‘I leave with my head held high’
“Kung anuman ang bumubuo rito, maliit man na sabay-sabay o sunud-sunod, ay nasa indibidwal na miyembro at sabihin kung ano ‘yun. Sa dulo, ang tawag pa rin dyan ay kakulangan o kawalan ng kumpiyansa,” he said.
(Whatever constitutes it, whether small at once or successively, is up to the individual member to say what it is. Ultimately, it is still called lack or absence of confidence.)
Escudero took his oath as the 25th Senate President of the Philippines on May 20. He earlier admitted to initiating the plan to unseat Zubiri.