Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday expressed hope that the Senate, in the 19th Congress, would soon be able to form a “UniTeam” that would help pave the way for a strong super majority bloc needed to sustain the momentum of the reforms and programs of the incoming Marcos administration.
Because as far as she knows, Marcos, sister of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., said none of the possible contenders for the Senate presidency has already been able to secure 13 votes of their colleagues.
“Ang dami namin Senate presidentiables pero I think everyone has agreed na dapat yung mangyari sa Senate ay uniteam pa din. Isang majority na matibay na talagang 13 ang maasahang boto. Dapat ganun sana (We have so many Senate presidentiables, but I think everyone has agreed that what should happen in the Senate should also be another ‘uniteam.’ One super majority that can securely deliver 13 votes. I really hope that happens),” Marcos said in an interview on Radio DZBB.
“Kasi sa dami ng problema natin, dapat mabilis tayo at dapat malakas ang dating ng mga batas na kinakailangan natin para magbayad ng utang, para ma recover yung ekonomiya at para matigil yung non-stop pandemonium nitong Covid-19, na ito di na yata mawawala ever. So eto nga, (Because we face a lot of problems, we need to act fast and the laws we pass should have an impact, so we can pay our debts, our economy can recover and put a stop to the pandemonium caused by Covid-19, which I think is here to stay), we’re all commiteed to coming up with a super majority,” Marcos stressed.
“So sabi ko nga, sana pag usap usapan na lang isang kandidato tutal andyan mukhang maliwanag hindi pa talaga nakakabuo ng 13 (So I said, I hope we can talk about having just one candidate, because it seems clear none of them has 13 votes). The magic 13 is not yet in place,” she said.
Sources said that among those said to be gearing for the Senate presidency is Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, and Sen. Cynthia Villar.
Senator-elect Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Sherwin Gatchalian are also said to be eyeing the Senate leadership.
Marcos said Senator-elect Loren Legarda should also be considered for the Senate presidency being the most senior in the upper chamber next Congress.
Zubiri reportedly has the backing of his “seatmates bloc” comprised of Senators Sonny Angara, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, and Legarda.
Villar, on the other hand, is said to have the support of President Duterte’s allies in the Senate, namely Senators Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, Senators-elect Robin Padilla, and Mark Villar.
Siblings Senators Pia Cayetano and Alan Peter Cayetano are reportedly still unsure on whether they will join the “supermajority” or will join the minority bloc with Senators Risa Hontiveros and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III or will be independent senators.