MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino’s absence during Monday’s session in the upper chamber cannot go unnoticed.
The Senate was just starting its regular session when Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri raised a quick point of inquiry in the plenary.
“I’m a bit naughty today. Where is our beloved Majority Floor Leader [Francis Tolentino], your honor? Because I miss him too…” Zubiri said.
It was Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who answered the question.
“I think the gentleman will agree with me that Francis in Paris rhymes better than Emily in Paris,” Escudero said.
“Emily in Paris” is the romantic-comedy series on Netflix, which stars Lily Collins.
Responding to Escudero’s remark, Zubiri said: “If that’s the case, if he’s in Paris, then I was hoping that we can amend the prayer of Sen. (Mark Villar) to include him in safe travels back home.”
The Senate chief informed the body that Tolentino was already on his way.
Tolentino’s Instagram posts on Sunday showed he joined a thanksgiving mass for Filipino atheletes in Paris.
Instagram post of Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis “tol” Tolentino
One of his photos was with Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo, who won two gold medals in the Paris Olympics.
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Zubiri recalled that when he was the Senate Majority Leader in the 14th Congress, the late Sen. Joker Arroyo would always look for him in the session hall.
READ: Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is Senate’s top absentee
“Every time I would leave the sesison hall early, the late great Joker Arroyo would always stand up and look for me and say where is the Majority Floor Leader Mr. President?” he said.
Even former Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile and now Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada would always question him in jest whenever he leaves the session hall at that time, according to Zubiri.
“Was it very important that he had to leave the session today and leave us in our work?” he recalled Enrile and Estrada asking that question then.
The same was true, he said, when he held the same position in the 17th and the 18th Congresses.
During the 17th and 18th Congresses, Zubiri said, it was former Sen. Franklin Drilon who would always look for him.
“He (Drilon) would always stand up and look for me and say, where is the Majority Floor Leader? I miss him! And I would have to rush wherever I have come from… to be able to come back,” Zubiri said.