Zubiri, who is aspiring to be the next Senate President, said Senator JV Ejercito will assume one of the two posts.
“What we agreed upon is the creation of deputy majority floor leaders. So there will be a majority floor leader, dalawang (two) senior deputy majority leaders,” Zubiri told reporters in a chance interview.
“I know senator JV is one and we are reserving the other, we are still deciding. Kasi kailangan din ng tulong ni Senator Joel [Villanueva] (Senator Joel might also need some help).”
Senator Joel Villanueva is poised to be the next majority leader.
On the other hand, Zubiri said plans of creating the position of Deputy Senate President Pro Tempore has not yet been agreed upon. But Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said many senators contested the idea of creating the additional post.
“Yung proposal to create other Pro Tempore hindi naging acceptable to a lot of the senators dahil nga unang una mawawala yung prestige ng pagiging Senate President Pro Tempore. Pangawala, kailangan isa lang naman yung deputy,” Gatchalian told reporters in an interview.
[Translation: The proposal to create other Pro Tempore was not accepted by a lot of senators because the prestige of being a Senate President Pro Tempore will be lost. Secondly, there’s a need for only one deputy.]
A Senate President Pro Tempore is the second highest post in the upper chamber. In the absence of the Senate President, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 6) — Senators agreed to create the position of Senior Deputy Majority Floor Leader, who will serve as assistant to the Senate Majority Leader, Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Miguel Zubiri said Wednesday. Two senators will be appointed to the new post.
