MANILA, Philippines — Former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and his allies have formed the “Magic 7” bloc as the Senate prepares to finalize its reorganization following a recent leadership change.
On Monday, Sen. Francis Escudero orchestrated a coup d’état against Zubiri, securing the signatures of 13 senators to unseat him.
Despite this, Zubiri retained the support of his “seatmates” group, which includes Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Loren Legarda, and Joel Villanueva.
“We have the full support of one another. For better or for worse, the seatmates will be together,” Zubiri said in a chance interview, emphasizing that their group remains “independent.”
Zubiri expressed his heartbreak upon learning that Sen. Ronald dela Rosa had signed the petition to remove him as Senate president.
Zubiri believes that Dela Rosa’s ongoing inquiry into the so-called Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) “leaks” contributed to his ousting.
The controversial document allegedly identified high-profile personalities using drugs, including then-Senator, now-President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and actress Maricel Soriano.
“I’m dumbfounded. At least he (dela Rosa) knew that I defended him as the chairman of the committee on public order tasked with probing the controversy. And because of that, I was sacrificed and removed from the position,” Zubiri lamented.
Despite the upheaval, Zubiri urged everyone to move on, acknowledging the harsh realities of politics. “It’s just that I am in shock. That’s politics. There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. It’s very surreal. It feels like I’m in a twilight zone,” he said.
Several committee chairmanships have been vacated by Zubiri’s allies and are now up for grabs. Some senators in the majority bloc have also expressed willingness to relinquish their committee chairmanships.
Newly installed Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who heads the committees on labor and national defense, has indicated his readiness to offer the labor committee chairmanship to Villanueva.
Sen. Imee Marcos is reportedly considering giving up one or two of the four committees she currently handles, which include foreign relations, cooperatives, electoral reforms, people’s participation, and social justice, welfare, and rural development.
(el Amigo/MNM)
