Go, Padilla to stay in Senate minority amid rumored shake-up

Senators Bong Go and Robinhood Padilla on Monday said they will not be leaving the Senate minority bloc amid claims that some senators will be transferring to the majority bloc. 

Before the Senate adjourned its session, both senators posed with a Duterte signature fist bump and held up a paper reading: “Duterte bloc kami. Kayo na lang sumama!”

(We’re the Duterte bloc. Join them yourselves.) 

“Solid Duterte bloc kami! Kahit tatlo na lang kami maiwan,” Go said in a Facebook post, referring to Padilla, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, and himself.

(We are the solid Duterte bloc! Even if it’s just the three of us left.) 

“Magtrabaho at magserbisyo na lang ang unahin natin kaysa pulitika," he added.

(Let's just work and serve, instead of engaging in politics.)

The Facebook post included a video of Go writing the message that he and Padilla held together with the signature fist bump of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Padilla’s chief of staff, Atty. Rudolf Philip Jurado, also confirmed to GMA News Online that Padilla will stay in the minority bloc led by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano. 

“Sen. Robin Padilla is not leaving the minority bloc,” Jurado said. 

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III previously said there were banters that Go and Padilla, and even Senator Imee Marcos would join the majority bloc. 

Specifically, Sotto admitted that he hoped that Marcos would still join the majority bloc and that this was why they initially opted to have her keep the chairmanship of the foreign relations committee. 

“Walang official na gano’n… Siguro merong pabiro every now and then kapag nagkikita kami sa lounge. Same with Senator Bong Go and Senator Robin Padilla. Meron kaming mga biruan na gano’n sapagkat ‘yan naman eh, they’re in line with the thinking of the majority. Independent Senate, kung ano sa tingin namin tama, doon kami,” the Senate President said. 

(There were no official talks that Marcos would transfer to the majority. We’re just joking about it every now and then when we meet in the lounge. Same with Senator Bong Go and Senator Robin Padilla. We have jokes like that because I know they’re in line with the thinking of the majority. We’re an independent Senate, and we support what we think is right.) 

Senator Erwin Tulfo officially took over the foreign relations committee last Monday after he was elected as its new chairperson, replacing Marcos. 

Sotto also said last week that the Senate majority bloc foiled a coup attempt, supposedly instigated by members of the minority bloc. — JMA, GMA Integrated News