Mark Villar Joins Senate Majority

Sen. Mark Villar bolted the minority led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to join the majority, beefing up the composition of the dominant bloc to 14 of the 24 senators.

Villar’s move to join the majority led by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian was confirmed during the plenary session on Thursday, Oct. 8, where Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri also revealed Villar’s election as the new chairman of the Senate public works committee and member of the Commission on Appointments.

Under a recent decision of the Senate impeachment court, which two members of the minority are challenging before the Supreme Court, only 14 votes instead of 16 are needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte.

Majority bloc members, however, stressed that Villar’s move was not related to the impeachment trial.

On the sidelines of the session, Zubiri also denied there was “politics involved” in Villar’s move.

Villar left his sister Sen. Camille Villar in the minority bloc as their family faces preliminary investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman over complaints in the services of the erstwhile Villar-led PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp.

Zubiri said Villar was originally a member of the majority, so his move to bolt the Cayetano bloc was not surprising.

“He just really wants to work and he wants the committees that can give him the chance to work and be a productive member of the Senate. So, this for me is just welcoming back a member of the majority once again, and he’s raring to go,” Zubiri said.

“Being a member of the majority, doesn’t automatically mean that you will vote for conviction or for acquittal. Maybe we have members in majority who will vote for acquittal. And maybe, there are members of the minority who will vote for conviction,” Zubiri said. “It all has to do with evidence presented.”

Zubiri said the rest of the minority members are welcome to join them in the majority.

Cayetano understands

Reacting to Villar’s move, Cayetano said he is vouching for the loyalty of the remaining members of the minority – Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, both detained for plunder; International Criminal Court fugitive Ronald dela Rosa; Pia Cayetano, Camille Villar, Imee Marcos, Loren Legarda, Bong Go and Robin Padilla.

“Senate coalitions may change, but our vision, principles, and commitment to God and to the Filipino people remain steadfast,” Cayetano wrote on Facebook on Thursday.

He said the minority bloc would “continue to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities as fiscalizers and constructive oppositionists, upholding the rights of every Filipino and respecting both God’s laws and the laws of man, particularly the Philippine Constitution.”

Cayetano said he understood the “circumstances and considerations that may lead to changes in political alliances.”

He said since losing the Senate presidency post to Gatchalian last June, “it has become increasingly clear how important it is for this administration to maintain a closely allied working majority in the Senate.”

“Regardless of how the political landscape shifts, our duty remains unchanged. We will continue to stand for what is right, uphold our institutions, and work for the good of our nation,” Cayetano said

“As we continue to pray for our country, we wish Senator Mark Villar and all our colleagues well,” he added.