Senator Raffy Tulfo. Photo courtesy of Senate of the Philippines.
Senator Raffy Tulfo called for reconciliation with the new Senate minority after Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian was elected Senate president.
Tulfo said the majority bloc was ready to reach out to the group led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, which skipped Wednesday’s special session.
Gatchalian was elected Senate president by acclamation during the session called by President Marcos.
Tulfo apologized to Filipinos for the public infighting that marked the Senate leadership dispute in recent days.
He urged minority senators to set aside past statements and actions and return to legislative work.
The new Senate majority includes Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto, Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, Panfilo Lacson, JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Francis Pangilinan, Lito Lapid, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, Chiz Escudero, and Joel Villanueva.
Escudero and Villanueva were previously identified with the Cayetano bloc before joining the Gatchalian majority.
The new minority is composed of Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Bong Go, Camille Villar, Mark Villar, Robin Padilla, Ronald Dela Rosa, and Jinggoy Estrada. Estrada remains detained over a non-bailable plunder case linked to flood control projects, while Dela Rosa has been in hiding amid an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
