THE Senate and Congress have installed new leaders in time for the delivery of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the 19th Congress on Monday afternoon.
Senator Miguel Zubiri was installed Senate President while Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez, first cousin of the President Marcos, was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Zubiri was unanimously elected Senate president after having been nominated by six Senators that included Joel Villanueva Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Loren Legarda, who was elected Senate President Pro Tempore. Villanueva is the new Majority Leader.
From a total of 309 Congressmen, 282 voted for Romualdez. Former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo was also elected as House senior deputy speaker while the following were elected as deputy speakers: Isidro Ungab of Davao, Roberto Puno of Antipolo, Camille Villar of Las Piñas, Raymond Mendoza of the TUCP Partylist and Christine Singson of Ilocos Sur.
The new House Majority Leader is Congressman Manuel Dalipe of Zamboanga City.
Under the rules, those who did not vote for the winning speaker will compose the minority bloc who will then elect among themselves who their leader will be.
In the Senate, only Senator Koko Pimentel and Rissa Hontiveros will comprise the minority as siblings Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano chose to be independent. (TSJ)
