Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31) — President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with several members of the Congress on Tuesday to discuss his upcoming first State of the Nation Address and his administration’s legislative agenda.
In a statement, the Marcos camp said the lawmakers were led by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who are both eyeing the top posts in their respective houses.
Also in the meeting from the upper chamber were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senators Nancy Binay, Ronald Dela Rosa, Lito Lapid, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., along with Senators-elect JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, and Raffy Tulfo.
Iloilo Rep. Janet Garin and Isabela Rep. Tonypet Albano were in attendance for the lower chamber.
“Observers also believed that the government will have a healthy relationship between the executive and legislative branches as the three major parts of the PhilippinesLuzon, Visayas and Mindanaoare well represented,” the president-elect’s camp noted.
The visit came after Zubiri earlier said Marcos already expressed his desire to immediately ‘shape up’ the legislative agenda for the next Congress.
“He instructed me and incoming Speaker Romualdez to sit down and discuss possible legislative agenda for the SONA [state of the nation address], discussions for the SONA,” he added.
Zubiri has committed to help the incoming chief executive on his agenda for the 19th Congress whether or not he will be Senate President.
“This developed as Senate insiders also disclosed that there were strong indications that Migz is a cinch to bag the Senate presidency as he has the number to muster the majority against his closest rival Sen. Cynthia Villar,” the Marcos team said, adding that during the meeting, Zubiri did not discuss the possibility of term-sharing.
