LP senators to remain part of Senate majority

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. FILE PHOTO

Liberal Party senators, who are part of the majority bloc in the Senate, are keeping a “status quo” pending consultations after their partymate, Vice President Leni Robredo, was eased out of the Duterte Cabinet.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, acting president of LP, said the consensus was reached after he and two other partymates in the Senate — Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon and Bam Aquino— had met.

Pangilinan said the fourth LP member, Senator Leila De Lima, was not able to attend the meeting.

“We are still in the process of consultations and Senator Leila was not present in the meeting,” he said in a text message on Monday.

“We are also seeking feedback from our House members. In the meantime, [we’ll keep] the status quo,” Pangilinan said.

Aquino confirmed this, saying they have no plans to leave the Senate majority bloc at this point.

“I think we’re retaining our independent status. Currently, we’re able to tackle issues one at a time, political [matters] also separately from the reforms [that should be done],” he said in a separate interview.

“So we’re going to retain the status quo. We’re keeping our independence also,” Aquino added.

LP members belonging to the minority bloc in the House of Representatives are urging their partymates to join them in the opposition following Robredo’s resignation as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

The resignation was prompted by President Rodrigo Duterte’s reported order for Robredo, who is part of LP, to “desist from attending all Cabinet meetings starting this Monday, December 5.”/ac

READ: Speaker: No ‘oust Leni’ plot; 7 LP solons urge party to break free