Veteran bloc to back Sotto for SP

MANILA, Philippines — Ruling himself out as a contender for the Senate presidency, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday revealed that the “veteran bloc” in the chamber will support the bid of returning Sen. Vicente Sotto III for the top Senate post.

“I am for a leader of the Senate who will keep protecting the integrity and traditions of the Senate. I don’t want a Senate leader who will be a dictatorial type. I don’t want us to be similar to the other chamber, where it is only one emperor who dictates all the instructions to the members of the body,” Zubiri said in a press briefing held in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.

According to Zubiri, the “veteran bloc” consists of himself, returning Senators Panfilo Lacson and Sotto as well as Sen. Loren Legarda.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the Senate’s current leadership, Zubiri said he is also open to supporting other candidates for Senate president.

Zubiri noted that the Senate is currently facing numerous issues, tests and challenges.

“I think right now, there’s a lot of people angry at the Senate,” he said. “My worry is, one day, the Senate might lose its relevance. People will just say, abolish the Senate. Once we lose relevance, the people will no longer want us, no longer need us. That is a failure on our part as senators.”

Zubiri was ousted as Senate president during the 19th Congress and was replaced by now-Senate President Francis Escudero.

Sen. Joel Villanueva disclosed on Monday that Escudero appears to have the support of at least 13 senators.

“He (Escudero) may have it, but I am hoping and praying that, at the end of the day, we all decide to have a Senate president that will continue its independence—as a last bastion of democracy—but not just independent from the House (of Representatives),” Villanueva said.

Senators’ bills filed

While discussions on the Senate presidency are shaping alliances and leadership preferences, senators have simultaneously begun to outline their respective policy agendas as the 20th Congress opens.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian filed his initial batch of proposed bills, including a measure to regulate online gambling instead of banning it. The bill mandates a minimum P10,000 cash-in requirement, stricter age verification and taxing the industry to fund addiction rehab. He also filed bills seeking to ban celebrity endorsements of gambling and vapes, and shortening college degrees to three years due to senior high school reforms.

Sen. Loren Legarda, on the other hand, submitted ten priority measures emphasizing education, labor and the environment. Her proposals include the One Tablet, One Student Act, the Living Wage Act and the Low Carbon Economy Act, along with bills supporting unpaid care and waste workers, senior citizens and marine conservation.

Health, labor rights and child welfare top the list of bills filed by Sen. Camille Villar. Her measures propose free dialysis for indigents, a cancer medicine fund, aid for workers displaced by AI and support services for children with special needs. She also filed bills on OFW remittance protection, waived fees for indigent jobseekers, maternal care, child online safety and tourism development.

Sen. Lito Lapid, meanwhile, introduced proposals addressing women’s health, cultural heritage and media worker welfare. These include the Inang Matibay Act, News Media Welfare Act and proposals for a transportation safety board, electronic medical records, public AEDs, free access to government websites, and film industry support.

Palace to assess legislated wage hike impact

Meanwhile, Malacañang responded to wage hike proposals, with Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro stating that the government will carefully assess their economic impact.

“This (legislated wage hike) will be studied if it is doable because if it leads to layoffs due to the inability of small businesses to comply, more workers would suffer, they might lose their jobs. All these will be studied for the benefit of all,” she said yesterday.

“The government is ready to listen to the concerns of all stakeholders on the issue,” she reiterated.

The Metro Manila wage board, through Wage Order?26, approved yesterday a P50 daily increase in the minimum wage for the National Capital Region, raising base pay from P645 to P695 and P608 to P658 in agriculture, service and small-scale manufacturing.

The Department of Labor and Employment said this “biggest ever” regional adjustment will take effect on July 18, 2025, benefiting around 1.2?million workers, adding P1,100 to P1,300 monthly and reflecting considerations on GDP, inflation and unemployment.

SONA preparations

In a separate development, the Metro Manila police will deploy 21,000 officers on July 28 in anticipation of a “different” State of the Nation Address (SONA) this year.

“We know that this is a different SONA because of the many issues troubling the Philippines, so various groups may come together to voice their grievances,” National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo said in Filipino on Monday, without elaborating on how this year’s address would differ from previous ones.

SONA has long served as a stage for militant and progressive groups to denounce the sitting president’s perceived shortcomings and symbolically burn an effigy.

This year’s deployment could suggest heightened precautions as authorities prepare for possible protests, especially from supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The demonstrations may center around Duterte’s recent arrest and the impeachment proceedings against his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte.

For comparison, the NCRPO deployed 7,661 personnel during Duterte’s 80th birthday celebration last March 28.

Asilo said police are currently monitoring certain groups to determine their planned activities and estimate crowd sizes for the upcoming event.

She urged law enforcers to exercise maximum tolerance while calling on protesters to show mutual respect.

“We urge rallyists to practice self-restraint in dealing with police, just as they expect the same from us, because you are free to express your grievances and we are here to ensure the protection of all participants,” she said.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III gave assurances on Monday that President Marcos’s fourth SONA would be “peaceful.”

When asked whether additional precautions were being considered amid the current political tensions, Torre responded that authorities are “preparing with the worst in mind.” — EJ Macababbad, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Neil Jayson Servallos, Alexis Romero