Jinggoy bares new 9-man Senate minority bloc

Following the change of leadership at the upper chamber, Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday said that the Senate minority bloc may now be composed of nine members, including himself. 

Estrada said that Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is poised to become the next Senate minority leader, replacing Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who is now the Senate president. 

Meanwhile, he said Senator Rodante Marcoleta may next serve as the Senate deputy minority leader. 

Other senators who will compose the new minority bloc, according to Estrada, will be: 

• Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero
• Senator Joel Villanueva
• Senator Bong Go
• Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
• Senator Robin Padilla
• Senator Imee Marcos

Estrada, former Senate president pro tempore, said all these nine senators were those who did not sign the resolution for the leadership change. 

Sotto on Monday replaced Escudero as Senate president after the position was declared vacant during the plenary session. 

Senator Ping Lacson, meanwhile, was elected as the new Senate president pro tempore, replacing Estrada. Senator Migz Zubiri was also named as the new Senate majority leader, replacing Villanueva. —AOL, GMA Integrated News