CEBU CITY, Philippines—-He may have resigned from the Senate but Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri vowed to stage a grand comeback in 2013.
“This is a temporary setback, I will come back with a bang,” Zubiri told the INQUIRER in a phone interview Thursday.
He said he would make a comeback and run for a Senate slot in 2013 so that he could continue serving again in an official capacity.
In the meantime, Zubiri said he would continue working for the interests of the province, where his father hails from, and for the sugar industry in his private capacity.
His father, incumbent Bukidnon Vice Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, hails from Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Zubiri said he was touched by the outpouring of support for him from fellow Negrenses and hopes they understand that his resignation “had to be done for a higher purpose.”
Negrense leaders all felt they lost a great ally in the Senate with Zubiri’s resignation.
“He is a cut above the rest. I’m sure he’ll be back. He’s a great statesman,” said Rep. Alfredo Marañon III of Neg. Occidental 2nd district.
Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. lauded Zubiri for his statesmanship.
“Very few Filipinos can emulate what he did,” the governor said. “He helped Negros Occidental very much. He is a loss to our province but he will be back. I’m sure of that.”
Sugar industry leaders, as well, considered Zubiri’s resignation as a “big loss.”
“We take our hats off to Senator Migz for his courage to uphold his honor and dignity,” said Luis Tongoy of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations.
Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, said he admired Zubiri’s decision to value honor over his position.
Manuel Lamata, United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines president, commended Zubiri, who he said had championed the causes of both the sugar industry and Negros Occidental.
Jose Ramos, secretary and treasurer of the CONFED sugar coops, said he is saddened by the resignation of Zubiri.
“Negros Occidental and the sugar industry lost an effective and able defender. He authored and worked for the passage of the new cooperative act of the Philippines that exempted sugar producers’ cooperatives from the VAT (Value Added Tax),” Ramos said.
Beneficiaries of Zubiri’s projects in Cebu were also saddened by his resignation.
“It’s too bad. Of course, he was performing well, He should not have resigned until all was clear,” said Dr. Rodolfo Burgos, Cebu Technological University vice president for administration.
Zubiri was one of the co-authors of the law creating the university in 2009.
Burgos said Zubiri’s resignation was premature because the allegations of cheating have not been proven. But he commended Zubiri for making a “very gentleman-like decision.”
“If the family is affected then it should not be prolonged,” said Burgos.
He added the university would have asked Zubiri’s assistance for scholarships had he not resigned. The CTU has suffered a 25-percent dropout rate in the second semester compared to the first semester even if the school offers a low tuition of P7,000 per semester.
CTU, which has nine campuses in Cebu, became a university on Nov. 10, 2009.
Dr. Lakshmi Legazpi, acting regional director of Department of Health in Central Visayas, thanked Zubiri for extending assistance to the hospitals in the region.
“We thank him for his contribution to improve the facilities of our hospitals (in the region), especially the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. We are saddened by his decision but it was his personal decision and must be respected,” Legazpi said.