Incoming Sen. Bam Aquino Denies Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s Speculation
BAM AQUINO – The returning Senator clarified that he remains in the “independent bloc” with senator allies Kiko Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros.
The “come-from-behind win” of returning senators Aquino and Pangilinan did not only delight former Vice President Leni Robredo who won mayor of Naga City but as well as the countless Kakampinks. The former Vice President campaign of Aquino and Pangilinan and they ranked first and second in her city.
Returning senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan and former Vice Pres. Leni Robredo were not only together during the 2025 Midterm Elections. When the Leni-Kiko tandem ran for the presidential and the vice presidential race in 2022, Aquino was their campaign manager.
While the results of the 2022 Elections did not favor the tandem, the world saw a different kind of unity among their supporters which continued even during the recent elections. The two (2) returning senators are expected to be in the same bloc with Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
However, ahead of the voting for the Senate presidency and amid the formation of blocs inside the upper chamber, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada expressed his speculation that incoming senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan are likely to join the Senate majority in the 20th Congress.
Based on a report on PhilStar, the Senator stressed that those who are part of the Senate majority are likely to get their desired chairmanship. He stressed that Pangilinan’s forte is agriculture.
Meanwhile, amid the doubts among the supporters, incoming Sen. Bam Aquino clarified that he remains with Sen. Risa Hontiveros and incoming Sen. Kiko Pangilinan in the independent bloc.
“We’re still together in the independent bloc,” Aquino said.
Incoming Sen. Bam Aquino did hint on wanting to chair the Senate education panel. Based on the report, he stressed that “the education crisis in our country needs to be addressed”. According to him, it is important that they will get the committee chairmanship and they are finalizing their decision.
Recently, there are claims that Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero gains the support of the majority, thus, he is poised to remain in his position as the chamber’s leader. The vote of the Duterte bloc for the Senate presidency was recently revealed by Sen. Bato dela Rosa.