Sen. Risa Hontiveros Not Hurt if Ally Senators Pangilinan, Aquino Decide To Be Part of Senate Majority
RISA HONTIVEROS – The Senator is firm on remaining as an independent minority even if her allies, Aquino and Pangilinan, will join the majority.
Currently, there are several speculations on who might be the next Senate president of the Philippines. Both Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero and incoming Sen. Tito Sotto have expressed willingness to lead the chamber in the 20th Congress.
Previously, Sen. Joel Villanueva claimed that Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero allegedly has 13 votes already in his side. The number makes him poised to remain in his post as the chief of the Senate.
Several senators and incoming senators have also personally expressed their support to Escudero. Incoming Sen. Erwin Tulfo claimed that he and his brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, support Escudero for the Senate presidency.
Recently, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada claimed that incoming senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino are allegedly likely to be part of the Senate majority. He stressed that members of the majority may be given the committee chairmanship they really desire.
Estrada said Pangilinan is really suited for the agriculture panel of the Senate. Recently, Sen. Risa Hontiveros aired her side on the possibility of incoming senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino joining the Senate majority. She is the only one left of the two-man independent minority bloc in the 19th Congress following the end of the term of former Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel.
Based on a report on GMA News, Sen. Risa Hontiveros stressed that she will remain an independent minority in the 20th Congress. According to her, she is not hurt in case incoming senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino will join the Senate majority.
“Basta patuloy akong maninindigan. Kung ang bawat isa sa amin ay may sariling diskarte, ako rin naman po, basta nakatutok pa rin ako do’n sa layunin na palakasin ‘yung oposisyon,” she said.
Based on the report, Sen. Hontiveros further expressed that as an independent senator, she will remain to help strengthen the opposition nationwide. Meanwhile, amid the confusion following the statement of Estrada, incoming Sen. Bam Aquino made clarification about him and fellow senators Risa Hontiveros and Kiko Pangilinan.