Four days after a change in leadership at the Senate took place, the finger-pointing continued with Senator Ronald dela Rosa attributing the shake-up to the so-called “artista” bloc in the Upper Chamber.
Dela Rosa said the plot to have then Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri ousted was unleashed after the latter refused to allow Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., who was suffering from an Achilles tendon injury, to attend a plenary session virtually.
A video surfaced on social media showing Zubiri and Revilla, who was wearing a walking boot for his injured foot, getting into an argument about his condition.
At one point, Zubiri was heard asking Revilla “Are you in coma?” To which the latter replied in Tagalog, “Cut it out, bro, it’s getting rude. I respect you.”
Despite arguing that it was contrary to the Rules of the Senate, Zubiri later acceded to the call of majority senators to grant Revilla’s appeal.
Aside from Revilla, the other members of the “artista” bloc are Senators Robin Padilla, Lito Lapid, and the new Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada—them being actors-turned-politicians.
But his colleagues rejected Dela Rosa’s claim, describing it as too flimsy.
In a media briefing Wednesday night, Padilla said their group had nothing to do with Zubiri’s ouster.
While he did not side with Zubiri, Padilla said he had no problem with his leadership in the Senate.
Early this year, rumors of a coup against Zubiri went around, with the name of Estrada being floated as possible replacement.
Estrada, however, strongly denied he was being pushed to wrestle the Senate presidency from Zubiri. He also refuted reports he was among the coup plotters.
Dela Rosa said he was committed to supporting Zubiri during Monday’s shake-up, but eventually voted to install Senator Francis Escudero as the new Senate President.
During Zubiri’s resignation speech Monday, when he was still unaware of how the vote went, he even gave a shoutout to Dela Rosa for remaining loyal, prompting the latter to shed tears.
“At least he knows I defended him as a chairman of the committee on public order and because of that, sacrifices were made. I was the sacrifice. I lost my position,” Zubiri said.
Dela Rosa turned emotional while listening to Zubiri, and later was even seen hugging Zubiri’s wife, Audrey, who was in the Senate gallery.
The Senate committee on public order, which Dela Rosa heads, is investigating the so-called PDEA leaks that allegedly linked President Marcos and actress Maricel Soriano to illegal drug use.
