Sen. Bato dela Rosa Speaks on “Gimmick” Remarks of Senate Pres. Tito Sotto
BATO DELA ROSA – The Minority Senator slammed the “gimmick” remarks of Senate President Tito Sotto over their bloc.
Amid some senators being linked to anomalous flood control deals funded by the government as well as to a contractor flagged by President Bongbong Marcos, the Senate decided for a shakeup. Former Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero whose name was dragged into the flood control issue for receiving P30-million campaign donation from a contractor flagged by Marcos Jr. was replaced by former Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto.
Then-Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada is also accused by Brice Hernandez of allegedly receiving kickbacks from flood control projects. Hernandez is a dismissed engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and he is currently under the custody of the Senate. Aside from Estrada, he also accused Sen. Joel Villanueva of the same allegation.
Amid the flood control mess, Estrada is replaced by Sen. Ping Lacson as the Senate President Pro Tempore. Lacson also heads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee now which was previously led by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta. Escudero, Marcoleta, Estrada, and Villanueva are now all under the Minority Bloc which is composed of 9 senators:
- Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (Senate Minority Leader)
- Sen. Rodante Marcoleta (Deputy Minority Leader)
- Senator Joel Villanueva (Deputy Minority Leader)
- Sen. Chiz Escudero
- Sen. Imee Marcos
- Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
- Sen. Robin Padilla
- Sen. Bato Dela Rosa
- Sen. Bong Go
Recently, Sen. Bato dela Rosa reacted to the remarks of Senate Pres. Tito Sotto over the Senate Minority Bloc. Based on a report on GMA News, Sotto’s statement that the concerns on where Hernandez should be detained is allegedly just a “gimmick” of the Minority Bloc.
Based on the report, Sen. Bato dela Rosa stressed during a plenary session that the Senate is not a noontime television show. The Minority Senator also told Senate Pres. Tito Sotto that they are raising legitimate issues.
“Ang Senado po, hindi po noontime TV show na puro gimik ang ating tini-take up dito. Kami po ay nag-raise dito ng legitimate issues which require legitimate attention. So, Mr. President, ako po ay nalulungkot,” the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief-turned-Senator said.
Based on the report, Sen. Bato dela Rosa added that the Minority bloc senators have accepted that they are now the minority but they should not be told that they should die of resentment. The Senate Majority bloc is composed of 15 senators who are the following:
- Sen. Tito Sotto (Senate President)
- Sen. Ping Lacson (Senate President Pro Tempore)
- Sen. Miguel Zubiri (Senate Majority Leader)
- Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Deputy Majority Leader)
- Sen. JV Ejercito (Deputy Majority Leader)
- Sen. Loren Legarda
- Sen. Bam Aquino
- Sen. Pia Cayetano
- Sen. Win Gatchalian
- Sen. Lito Lapid
- Sen. Kiko Pangilinan
- Sen. Erwin Tulfo
- Sen. Raffy Tulfo
- Sen. Camille Villar
- Sen. Mark Villar
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano also claimed that he was not consulted over the transfer of the custody of former DPWH Engr. Brice Hernandez from Pasay City Jail back to the Senate. He stressed that the problem is allegedly not the detention of Hernandez but the rules of the Senate.
For his part, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto stressed that “the Senate President has the power to order the transfer”. Based on the report, he apologized over his choice of words.
“If I have used a word that has not conform to your palette, pagpasensyahan niyo kapag ganon dahil karamihan ng binanggit ko, opinyon ko,” Sotto said.
Amid the flood control mess, former Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada junked the allegation that he is getting kickback from the flood control projects of the government.