Senator Sonny Angara said that the chairmanship of the finance committee he now heads and not the Senate President seat is what Senator Imee Marcos wants to get.
In a report by Maki Pulido on GMA News “24 Oras” on Tuesday, Angara said that Imee Marcos is pushing Sen. Cynthia Villar to be Senate President in the incoming 19th Congress.
“Usually, there’s the main protagonist or ‘yon ‘yung mga protagonist mga talagang nagpu-push. Isa doon si Sen. Imee,” said Angara.
Angara admitted that Imee Marcos might attract the support of others because of her experience as a legislator and brother of presumptive president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“I would imagine, yes, because as the sister of the president and of course as a colleague na nirerespeto eh, siguro may dating din ‘yun di ba? May impluwensya rin ‘yun,” added Angara.
But according to Angara, his support in the battle for Senate leadership will be given to re-electionist Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.
“He’s very popular among, you know, some of our colleagues. Kami, we have a group, Seatmates, Sen. Nancy Binay, Sen. Joel (Villanueva), Sen. Grace (Poe), so definitely, kami, we already promised our support,” said the senator.
Imee Marcos wants to lead finance committee – Angara
Angara hopes that Zubiri and Villar will discuss their possible battle for the seat that Senate President Tito Sotto will vacate to have a “super majority” in the Senate again.
On the other hand, he clarified that the Senate would not be a “rubber stamp” of the new administration even if it has a supermajority again.
“Even if there was a super majority during the Duterte administration, the members had very independent views kasi iba-iba ‘yung pananaw ng bawat senador eh. Iba’t-ibang partido, iba’t-ibang ideolohiya,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said re-electionist Sen. Risa Hontiveros should take his place as minority leader.
Hontiveros is the only opposition candidate to win the Senate race this Election in 2022.
“Those who will not vote for the senate president who will be elected would be considered as part of the minority bloc,” said Drilon.
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