Zubiri bloc may join Senate minority

The "Solid 7" group of former Senate chief Juan Miguel Zubiri is thinking of creating a more formidable minority bloc under the Senate presidency of Francis Escudero.

- JANVIC MATEO and MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

In an interview on "Storycon" over One News, Sen. JV Ejercito said he and the five other senators who sided with Zubiri Joel Villanueva, Loren Legarda, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara and Sherwin Gatchalian call themselves the Solid 7 composed of "independent senators" who were not part of Escudero's ouster move.

"We agreed to remain independent at this time and to make sure that we will always fight for the independence of the Senate. We will let our emotions simmer down a bit...

we will have enough time to think about the direction we will take," Ejercito said, noting the upcoming two-month adjournment of Congress.

"But if the black propaganda continues, we will have no choice but to join the minority," he added, referring to the two-member minority bloc composed of Senators Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros.

Ejercito clarified, however, that being in the minority would not mean they would be part of the opposition, noting Zubiri and the former leadership's support for the Marcos administration. will uproot them and put them in jail, where they belong,” he said.