MANILA, Philippines – Hihingin ng tinaguriang “Solid 6” ang ikaapat na bahagi ng membership ng kada komite sa Senado bilang “independent members” ng majority bloc, ayon kay dating Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.
Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Zubiri na nakatakda nitong hilingin sa majority bloc ang pag-upo sa bawat komite sa gaganaping caucus sa mga susunod na araw.
“What is important is the membership kasi anim kami, eh. So, we are one-fourth of the Senate. So we’re requesting sana in the committees, dapat one-fourth of the committee memberships will be given to our bloc as well,” ayon kay Zubiri.
Ayon kay Zubiri na miyembro ng “independent bloc” sina dating Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, dating Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, at dating Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito—na pawang walang komite sa ngayon, at sina Seandor Sherwin Gatchalian at Nancy Binay.
“We will request that tomorrow in the caucus. Since we form one-fourth of the Senate, we will request one-fourth of the membership of each committee,” aniya.
Ipinaliwanag naman ni Zubiri na ayaw nilang malusaw ang kanilang grupo kaya nananatili silang miyembro ng majority bloc.
“We remain to be a working bloc in the Senate but also an independent bloc in the Senate. But we’re part of the majority hindi naman kami magma-minority. Hindi naman kami mag-o-opposition. So we will help while we can help and if we need to criticize, we’ll criticize. When we need to improve the measures, we will improve it,” aniya.
“Alam mo naman kaming seatmates, kami magkasama nu’ng 17th, 18th Congress… So, we stay together… Ayaw namin mabuwag ‘yung grupo namin e. Napakahalaga ng grupo namin and the six of us,” giit pa ni Zubiri.
Nabuo ang “Solid 6” nang palitan ni Senador Francis “Chiz” Escudero si Zubiri na dating “Solid 7” matapos maitalaga si dating Senador Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara bilang Education secretary. Ernie Reyes
