Ejercito dares LP senators in ‘supermajority’ to show true colors

Senator JV Ejercito issues challenge to LP senators in the supermajority. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Since they always vote against the  majority, senators who are part or allied with the  Liberal Party should decide whether to  stay with the so-called “supermajority bloc” in the Senate or just join the minority group, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said on Tuesday.

“In the recent months, pansin ko, tulad kahapon, kapag may voting tungkol sa issues, and other things, minsan nakikita mo na yung  totoong linya ng majority and yung totoong minority—yung totoong majority and yung totoong minority,” Ejercito said.

(In the recent months, I’ve observed, just like yesterday (Monday), that when it comes to voting on issues and other things, sometimes you can see the real line of the majority and the true minority – the true majority and the true minority.)

“Medyo sabihin na nating, hilaw eh (Call it phony). They are with the majority but most of the times they vote against the majority. I think we have to define already,  lines have to be drawn, [what’s the real deal] because  you cannot just  go on enjoying the benefits of being in the majority but  also at the same time you are also attacking and going against the majority,”  he said.

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The senator was referring to Monday’s session of the chamber where four LP senators voted against the  majority  on  the committee referral of  Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin  Drilon’s resolution, seeking a possible overhaul of the Bureau of Immigration (BI)  after the reported P50 million bribery scandal.

The four LP senators, who  belong to the majority bloc, are Drilon,  Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Leila de Lima,   and Bam Aquino. Another LP  member, Senator Ralph Recto, is  head of the minority group.   Akbayan Sen. Risa Hontiveros ran under the LP  ticket in the May 2016 but she is also  part of the Senate majority  group.

Asked if  the members and those  allied  with LP, who are part   of the majority, should just   join the minority, Ejercito said: “Probably. They have to already make a decision, whether to stay with the majority or be with the minority.”

But Drilon  said  there was  no reason  for them to leave the majority group.

“We were elected by the majority. We were part of the majority that voted for Koko,” he  said, referring to Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

“We find no reason. We will stay where we are,”  Drilon added./ac/rga