Opposition no more? Aquino, Pangilinan shift to Senate majority
MANILA, Philippines — It’s official: Sen. Bam Aquino and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan have joined the Senate majority after voting for Senate President Francis Escudero during the opening session of Congress on Monday, July 28.
In the Senate, those who vote for the winning Senate president are considered part of the majority bloc.
Aquino had earlier indicated that he was leaning toward joining the majority to secure the Committee on Education — a major panel traditionally not given to members of the minority.
Both Aquino and Pangilinan defied expectations by joining the majority, as many of their supporters had anticipated they would align with opposition lawmaker Sen. Risa Hontiveros in the minority.
In the Senate, however, those who do not vote for the winning Senate president are considered part of the minority.
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan explained his vote for Sen. Francis Escudero during the Senate’s opening session on Monday, July 28.
The returning senator said he had not expected to win in the 2025 midterm elections. Citing his previous work under the late President Benigno Aquino III to lower the prices of basic goods, Pangilinan said he still has much to accomplish as Chair of the Committee on Agriculture.
“Our nation is facing a food crisis and high prices of food have led to unprecedented hunger incidences, as well as unprecedented stunting among our children,” Pangilinan said.
“I’m not a political ally of the administration. But my 15 years in agri and food sector, both in the legislative and the executive branches, that only if the executive and the legislative branches work together can we effectively bring down food prices and address hunger and food inflation,” he added.
The Committee on Agriculture is another major panel that is not typically assigned to a minority senator.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who actively campaigned for both Aquino and Pangilinan during the midterm elections, had earlier said there were no hard feelings if they chose not to join her in forming an independent bloc.
The opposition senator initially expressed her intent to remain unaffiliated with either the majority or minority. However, she later acknowledged that she lacked the numbers to establish an independent bloc.
Hontiveros ultimately joined newly elected Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto in the minority, along with Sens. Ping Lacson, Loren Legarda and Miguel Zubiri.
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