Tulfo wants Senate president with 'least business interest'

Senator-elect Raffy Tulfo on Thursday said he would choose a senator with “least business interest” to be the next Senate president.

“Paano ko pipiliin o bobotohin ang susunod na magiging Senate president? Well, simple lang. ‘Yung Senate president na sa tingin kong wala masyadong business interest na pinoprotektahan o poprotektahan,” Tulfo said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

But, he said he is not referring to a particular senator, adding that he will still “investigate and research” about the business interests of the senators who are gunning for the post.

So far, Tulfo said Senators Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Imee Marcos had reached out to him to discuss the Senate presidency in the 19th Congress.

The broadcaster-turned-lawmaker also said he asked Senator Francis Escudero on Wednesday night if the latter is interested in the Senate president post.

Escudero is still thinking about running for Senate president, according to Tulfo.

Meanwhile, Tulfo said he is eyeing for the chairmanship of the Senate committees on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, and Labor, Employment & Human Resources Development, as well as the Senate panel that tackles the concerns of the Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“‘Yung tatlong ‘yun dahil yun ay nalilinya sa ginagawa kong trabaho,” Tulfo said.

So far, he said the senators who are seeking the top post in the Senate are not offering him any chairmanship in exchange for his vote.

On the other hand, Tulfo said he would prioritize the crafting of a law which will criminalize “wage theft.”

According to him, there are a lot of complaints about employers who are not providing proper compensations to their employees.

In a separate television interview, Tulfo said he would also push for the decriminalization of libel but he said he wanted to retain the civil damages against those who will be found liable.

Tulfo ranked third in the 2022 senatorial race with 23,396,954 votes.

Apart from him, the following entered the Senate’s “Magic 12”:

• Robin Padilla- 26,612,434 votes
• Loren Legarda - 24,264,969 votes
• Sherwin Gatchalian - 20,602,655 votes
• Francis "Chiz" Escudero - 20,271,458 votes
• Mark Villar - 19,475,592 votes
• Alan Cayetano - 19,295,314 votes
• Miguel Zubiri - 18,734,336 votes
• Joel Villanueva - 18,486,034 votes
• JV Ejercito - 15,841,858 votes
• Senator Risa Hontiveros - 15,420,807 votes
• Jinggoy Estrada - 15,108,625 votes

—LBG, GMA News