Hontiveros on Senate leadership shakeup: 'Status quo'

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the situation at the Senate remains unchanged despite rumors of another leadership shakeup.

Speaking at a media briefing, Hontiveros said the 11-member minority bloc remains intact, although some members of the majority bloc have reportedly expressed interest in switching sides.

"Status quo pa rin," Hontiveros said.

"Alam ninyo naman, para magkaroon ng leadership change, kailangan ng majority number of members of the Senate. Solid pa rin kaming 11 sa minority," she added.

(As you know, we need maority number for a leadership change. The 11-member minority remains solid.)

Rumors of another Senate leadership change circulated over the weekend after Senators Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, and Vicente "Tito" Sotto III expressed support for Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who is reportedly being eyed as a possible next Senate president.

"Kung maging Senate president si Senator Sherwin, that would be good for the Senate," Hontiveros said.

(If he were to become Senate President, that would be good for the Senate.)

"Magka-batch kami so isang dekada ko na siyang nakakatrabaho at naoobserbahan. Napakaseryosong legislator," she added.

(We're batchmates so I have been watching him work for a decade and he is a very serious legislator.)

The minority bloc currently consists of Hontiveros, Gatchalian, Pangilinan, Lacson, Sotto, Senators Bam Aquino, Lito Lapid, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, JV Ejercito, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The majority bloc, meanwhile, is composed of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, Senators Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Joel Villanueva, and siblings Camille Villar and Mark Villar.

Hontiveros said the minority still needs 13 votes for a coup d'etat despite Dela Rosa hiding from the public eye anew amid the issuance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against him.

"May nag-express ng intention pero sa ngayon, ang solid ay 'yung 11 sa minority. Wala pang solid na level-off na bagong bilang," she added.

(Some of them expressed intention but our bloc is solid. We had talks but none of it have levelled off for another vote.)

On May 11, senators voted in a surprise leadership change that installed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president, replacing Sotto.

Asked whether senators had discussed amending Senate rules in light of Dela Rosa's absence, Hontiveros replied: "Wala pang ganon pag-uusap." (There have been no such discussions yet.)

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the situation at the Senate remains unchanged despite rumors of another leadership shakeup.

Speaking at a media briefing, Hontiveros said the 11-member minority bloc remains intact, although some members of the majority bloc have reportedly expressed interest in switching sides.

"Status quo pa rin," Hontiveros said.

"Alam niyo naman, para magkaroon ng leadership change, kailangan ng majority number of members of the Senate. Solid pa rin kaming 11 sa minority," she added.

(As you know, we need maority number for a leadership change. The 11-member minority remains solid.)

Rumors of another Senate leadership change circulated over the weekend after Senators Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, and Vicente "Tito" Sotto III expressed support for Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who is reportedly being eyed as a possible next Senate president.

"Kung maging Senate president si Senator Sherwin, that would be good for the Senate," Hontiveros said.

(If he would become Senate President, that would be good for the Senate.)

"Magka-batch kami so isang dekada ko na siyang nakakatrabaho at naoobserbahan. Napakaseryosong legislator," she added.

(I've been watching him work and he is a very serious legislator.)

The minority bloc currently consists of Hontiveros, Gatchalian, Pangilinan, Lacson, Sotto, Senators Bam Aquino, Lito Lapid, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, JV Ejercito, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The majority bloc, meanwhile, is composed of Senators Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Joel Villanueva, and siblings Camille Villar and Mark Villar.

Hontiveros said the minority still need 13 votes for a coup d'etat despite dela Rosa hiding from public eye anew amid the issuance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against him.

"May nag-express ng intention pero sa ngayon, ang solid ay yung 11 sa minority. Wala pang solid na level-off na bagong bilang," she added.

(Some of them expressed intention but our bloc is solid. We had talks but none of it have levelled-off for another vote.)

On May 11, senators voted in a surprise leadership change that installed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president, replacing Sotto.

Asked whether senators had discussed amending Senate rules in light of Dela Rosa's absence, Hontiveros replied: "Wala pang ganon pag-uusap." (There have been no such discussions yet.) —AOL, GMA News