Pimentel: Senate majority still intact

MANILA, Philippines (Philippines News Agency) – Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday assured the public that the Senate supermajority is still intact despite some differences on political issues.

“The point is one member of the majority is not the majority,” Pimentel told reporters in an interview after a colleague expressed concern that senators in the majority bloc who were members of the Liberal Party usually vote against the majority.

Sen. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Tuesday asked LP senators to make a decision whether to stay in the Senate supermajority bloc or transfer to the minority.

Ejercito said it was not fair for LP senators to enjoy the “benefits of being in the majority but at the same time we are also attacking and hitting and going against the majority.”

Pimentel, however, said that after having a word with Ejercito, the latter admitted that he made a slight mistake in his recent comment.

The Senate president said that what mattered was that senators belonging to the majority bloc were not divided in “substance” and instead had “a common legislative agenda”.

“Pero huwag kami dapat maghati-hati sa substance ng aming common legislative agenda of the majority. Kapag doon kami nagkahati-hati, it is time to rethink why we are together. (But we in the majority should not be divided in substance of our common legislative agenda. If that is where we don’t agree, it is time to rethink why we are together),” Pimentel said.

Ejercito’s comment came after most LP senators voted to reconsider a committee referral of a resolution to possibly overhaul the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Pimentel said that “some division” was still acceptable within the majority.

“I can accept some division even within the majority. So don't worry, the majority is intact, as far as the substance is concerned,” he said.

Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon also noted that five LP senators, referring to Senators Bam Aquino, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima, have been “acting in unison” with minority Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and minority floor leader Ralph Recto. Recto is also a member of LP.

Gordon suggested that if these members are in the opposition, they should stay in the opposition.

De Lima hits questioning of majority members' opposition on issues

De Lima meanwhile said it is inappropriate for any member of the Senate to ask others to leave the majority as these matters must be discussed during internal caucuses. She described the remark as a possible form of oppression.

“And then, bakit pangungunahan ng member na yan (Gordon) kami? Hindi pa nga kami nag-uusap on that matter. So it’s inappropriate. It’s...to me, that’s tending towards oppression. Magrespeto naman tayo sa isa’t isa. Respetuhin naman natin ang isa’t isa. Hindi ka puwedeng...hindi sasabihin ng isang miyembro, ‘Hoy, kayo na mga hindi bumuboto with us you better already vote out of the Majority, or better start thinking about voting out of the Majority,’ De Lima said.

“No one can impose on our will, both our personal and collective will. Di ba, nakaka-insulto yun. May sari-sarili kaming pananaw. May sari-sarili kaming pag-iisip so kami rin ang magde-decide kung anong gagawin namin. No one is supposed to dictate on us on matters like that,” she stressed. – PNA/Azer Parrocha with reports from Philstar.com/Rosette Adel

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