Cynthia Villar: Current Senate roster ‘very interesting’ with ‘unpredictable’ new members

Senator Cynthia Villar on Wednesday said the composition of the 19th Congress is "very interesting," as holdover and re-elected members are joined by new, "unpredictable" colleagues.

"Interesting. Maybe it's too early to comment. We just watch and then we comment later, di ba. Very interesting," Villar said in an interview with reporters when asked about how she views the past and the current composition of the Senate.

"Ang personality [ngayon] mas iba di ba. 'Yung mga umalis mas predictable na, ito unpredictable ito. We have to see," she added, referring to former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, Ralph Recto, and Franklin Drilon.

"Ito mga bago ito hindi natin ito masyadong kilala."

In the new lineup of the 24-member Senate are 12 holdover senators elected in 2019 whose terms end in 2025, and 12 new senators elected in 2022 whose terms will end in 2028.

There are three sets of close relatives: Villar and her son, former Public Works secretary Mark Villar; siblings Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano; and brothers JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada.

There are also two neophyte legislators: Robin Padilla and Raffy Tulfo.

Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Loren Legarda, meanwhile, have returned to the upper chamber after serving as governor and congresswoman, respectively.

Completing the roster are Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Francis Tolentino, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Bong Go, Ronald Dela Rosa, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Aquilino Pimentel III, Lito Lapid, Sonny Angara, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, and Sherwin Gatchalian.

Villar also said she finds the current Senate leadership interesting, but did not elaborate when asked if she is fine with the way Zubiri runs the chamber.

"Huwag mo akong pag-komentahan diyan," said Villar, who initially expressed her intention to run for the top post.

Villar also said she expects her son Mark to excel in the position by the time her own term expires in 2025.

"I am ending my term in 2025. So by that time, maybe my son will be a better senator and he can do more work because I'm leaving the Senate," she said.

Villar said she is not nervous for her son and expressed confidence that her son is competent enough to fulfill his duties.

"Competent naman siya, he will learn in due time," she said. — BM, GMA News