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Senator Jinggoy Estrada takes his oath as the new Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Senator Loren Legarda on May 20, 2024.  Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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SENATE LEADERSHIP

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:875px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171627987311120240520-senate-leadership-estrada-MD11.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Jinggoy Estrada takes his oath as the new Senate President Pro Tempore, replacing Senator Loren Legarda on May 20, 2024.  <em id="isPasted">Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p><span></span>MANILA — Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada maintained Tuesday that neither he, the Palace, nor Speaker Martin Romualdez had a hand in the ouster of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">Estrada also declined to give details on the circumstances behind Zubiri&#x27;s ouster and replacement by new Senate President Francis Escudero.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">&quot;I need not tell the whole story because it&#x27;s already under the bridge. Water under the bridge &#x27;di ba?&quot; Estrada said.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">But he made it very clear that neither the Palace nor Romualdez had anything to do with the leadership change.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">While he admits that he talked to one colleague, whom he did not name, on Escudero&#x27;s behalf, Estrada denies he orchestrated Zubiri&#x27;s ouster.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">&quot;Ang lumalabas kasi na bali-balita sa labas na ako raw ang nag-instigate ako raw ang nag-initiate nitong kudeta laban kay Senator Migz. &#x27;Di po totoo &#x27;yan, I am denying it outright I [had] no hand, I never initiated or instigated the ouster of Senate President Zubiri,&quot; Estrada said.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">(What is going around is that I initiated this coup. That&#x27;s not true.)</p><div style="margin-left:0px"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/21/bato-voted-in-favor-of-zubiri-ouster-tolentino-1230" id="isPasted">RELATED: Bato says sorry to Zubiri, explains vote backing Escudero</a></div><p style="margin-left:0px">Estrada disclosed he only talked to Escudero about the leadership change days before the Senate leadership shake-up.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">&quot;I received a call from Sen. Escudero three days ago before — three days ago — and he wanted to talk personally so I agreed to talk to him and he intimated to me that he was interested in the Senate presidency. Of course, I was asking a lot of questions, I agreed,&quot; Estrada said.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">To him, it was not a decision he made lightly.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">&quot;When I made my decision I felt so heavy not literally syempre mabigat din sa aking pakiramdam na tanggalin  ang isang kaibigan.&quot; Estrada said.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">Estrada admitted Escudero offered his current position to him. He however declined to give his and his colleagues&#x27; reasons for joining Escudero.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">He maintained there are no outside forces behind the change.</p><div style="margin-left:0px"><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Meanwhile, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on Tuesday that he is certain that the Palace had no involvement in the sudden change in Senate leadership. </span></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><span dir="ltr">“In my 24 years of experience in the Senate, there were only two instance na attempt ang Malacañang na magbigay ng influence so I doubt if the Palace has anything to do with the senate change of leadership. I’m very sure na wala. It’s their own move,” Sotto said. </span></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><span dir="ltr">A total of 15 senators signed individual resolutions supporting Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s new leadership.</span></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><span dir="ltr">Escudero admitted on Tuesday that he only started campaigning for a change in Senate leadership last week.</span></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><span dir="ltr">“I will not ask Sen. Escudero or Sen. Zubiri, I will ask the 15 who voted in favor to remove Sen. Zubiri. Sila ang dapat tanungin kung anong dahilan,” Sotto said.</span></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><span dir="ltr"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/21/escudero-says-he-started-campaigning-for-senate-presidency-last-week-1646">Escudero says he started campaigning for Senate presidency last week</a></span><br/><span dir="ltr"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/22/chacha-drive-dim-with-chiz-at-senate-helm-binay-834">Chacha drive dim with Chiz at Senate helm: Binay</a></span><br/><br/></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><strong>SENATE INDEPENDENCE </strong></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><br/></div><p style="margin-left:0px">Estrada assured the public that the Senate would remain independent even as he hoped for better relations with the House.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">Estrada said he offered his chairmanship of the Labor Committee to former Majority Leader Joel Villanueva.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">&quot;I&#x27;m inclined to give up the Labor Committee in fact without the permission of the Senate President I already offered it to Senator Joel he being an expert in labor being the chairman of [Technical Education Skills and Development Authority] bakit sabi sa &#x27;kin ni Sen. Joel he is going to think about it,&quot; Estrada said.</p><p style="margin-left:0px">Estrada said his Committee on National Defense&#x27;s probe of the alleged wiretapping of a military official by the Chinese Embassy will push through on Wednesday.</p><div style="margin-left:0px"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/21/new-senate-leaders-emerge-as-some-panels-remain-vacant-1159" id="isPasted">READ: New Senate leaders emerge as some panels remain vacant</a></div><div style="margin-left:0px"><br/></div>

<p>Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada maintained Tuesday that neither he, the Palace, nor Speaker Martin Romualdez had a hand in the ouster of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.</p>

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada maintained Tuesday that neither he, the Palace, nor Speaker Martin Romualdez had a hand in the ouster of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.

'No outside forces': Jinggoy says Palace, Speaker had no hand in Zubiri's ouster

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'No outside forces': Jinggoy says Palace, Speaker had no hand in Zubiri's ouster

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 21, 2024 04:47 PM PHT

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Updated May 22, 2024 12:44 PM PHT

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