Mark Villar joins Senate majority

MANILA — Sen. Mark Villar on Thursday joined the Senate majority bloc, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri said.

“Siya nakiusap sa amin na sama na lang siya, he wants to join the majority to be more productive so we welcome them. No politics involved,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri added that Villar’s move had nothing to do with the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. 

“Being a member of the majority does it automatically mean that you will vote for conviction or for acquittal? Hindi po ibig sabihin yun. Baka may members kami sa majority bigla magvote for acquittal din,” he added.

Zubiri made the statement after Villar was elected as a member of the Commission on Appointments (CA) and as chairman of the Committee on Public Works, replacing Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III.

This majority bloc now has 14 members, as the Senate impeachment court continued hearing the third of four charges Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Villar in September voted with the majority that the constitutionally required two-thirds guilty verdict by “all members of the Senate” refers only to those “capable of participating” in the impeachment trial. 

His sister Sen. Camille Villar remains in the Senate minority.

The Villar family has been hounded by legal woes over various issues.

At least four senators — Legarda, Estrada, Marcoleta, and Dela Rosa — are now absent from the impeachment proceedings.

Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada have been detained on separate plunder cases, while Sen. Ronald dela Rosa is hiding from a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court over his alleged role in the war on drugs,  

Sen. Loren Legarda remained out of the country on medical leave.

Should the Senate find Duterte guilty in the impeachment trial, she would be stripped of the vice presidency and permanently barred from elected office.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano announced he was taking over the CA seat of Legarda. 

The minority’s ranks have diminished since Cayetano lost the Senate Presidency. Senators Francis Escudero and Joel Villanueva also defected as they faced legal woes in the flood control scandal.

Cayetano said the minority would “continue to fulfill its responsibilities as fiscalizers and constructive oppositionist, upholding the rights of every Filipino in accordance with GOD’s laws and the laws of man, particularly the Philippine Constitution.”

“We understand all too well the circumstances and considerations that lead to changes in political alliances. Since May 11, it has become increasingly clear how important it is for this administration to maintain a closely allied working majority in the Senate,” Cayetano said.

“But 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,” he said in a Facebook post. 

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