Sen. Robinhood Padilla on Wednesday called for understanding regarding Sen. Ronald "Bato" M. dela Rosa's decision to join the PDP party in supporting the change in Senate leadership.
Padilla, who is acting president of PDP, said dela Rosa followed their party's position to have a unified vote on issues.
"Ang hinihingi namin, wag naman masyadong, kawawa naman si Bato kasi walang kasalanan si Bato. Si Bato ay sumunod lang sa partido. Sana maintindihan natin na meron pa sa Pilipinas na mga totoong partido pulitikal na talagang sama-sama (What we are asking is for understanding for Sen. dela Rosa. He merely followed the party line. I hope we understand that in the Philippines, there are still real political parties that are united)," he said.
There are four PDP members in the Senate: Padilla, dela Rosa, now majority leader Francis N. Tolentino, and Christopher Lawrence "Bong" T. Go.
Padilla thus clarified that it was not the so-called "artista bloc" that moved to replace Sen. Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri as Senate President. He stressed he has no problem with Zubiri being Senate President.
Still, he said that when they talked to dela Rosa, he could no longer do anything about it.
"Sa aming bloc di pwedeng maghiwa-hiwalay, kung anong boto ng isa, yan boto ng lahat. Kaya nang kinausap namin si Bato wala siyang magawa. Kailangang mamili siya, kanyang partido o matatawag nating pakikisama kay SP Migz Zubiri (In our bloc, we cannot go our separate ways. The vote of one is the vote of all. So when we talked to Bato, he could not do anything; he had to choose between the party and Senate President Zubiri)," he said.
"Siyempre nanaig ang pagiging party man niya kasi yan adhikain ng PDP. Kailangan sumuinod ka sa sinasabi ng partido. Kaya ang artista bloc o anong bloc yan hindi po, partido naming PDP (Bato's being a party man prevailed. He has to follow the party. So this should put to rest any claim that the artista bloc or any bloc triggered the leadership change)," he added.