LP senators to stay with Senate majority despite De Lima ouster

Four senators who are members of or allied with the Liberal Party (LP) will stay with the majority bloc in the Senate despite the removal of a party member, Senator Leila de Lima, as chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights.

The four are Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon, and Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino — who are LP members — and Senator Risa Hotiveros, who belongs to Akbayan Partylist but ran under the LP-led senatorial ticket last May 2016 elections.

“We recognize the removal of Senator Leila de Lima as chair of the committee on justice and human rights as a political reality,” the four said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

“Having said that, our alliance with the majority has always been based on the reforms that we believe will propel our nation to greater economic, political and social heights. We will continue to pursue these agenda.”

“As long as we believe that these reforms can be achieved, we will remain with the majority,” they added.

READ: LP weighing options in ‘supermajority’ after De Lima ouster

The senators made this assurance to stick with the majority while lamenting that they were not consulted on its decision to oust De Lima.

“We are deeply saddened by the events that transpired yesterday. Elementary courtesy dictates that we as members of the majority bloc of the Senate should have been consulted,” they said.

“The concerns of our colleagues could have been addressed if there was an opportunity for a dialogue. No consultation or dialogue took place,” said the senators.

Despite this, they promised that they would remain vigilant and continue to assert the independence of the Senate. CDG/rga

READ: Senators explain why they ousted De Lima