Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri described as “good news” his chance meeting with House Speaker Martin Romualdez as they both “agreed to work professionally” after figuring in an intense political conflict recently over their differences in approaching Charter change.
“We agreed to work professionally, to stop the squabbles… Let’s continue to work for the benefit of the administration, for our people,” said Zubiri, who saw Romualdez on Wednesday, Feb. 14, during the 100th birthday celebration of political icon and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.
Zubiri admitted it’s no longer good that they have been arguing and fighting for weeks. “So, we committed to [talking] to each other. Hopefully, next week [we will have] a secondary meeting, because our meeting [earlier] was just fast. We just shook hands,” he told reporters.
The incumbent Senate chief also noted that this development is quite fitting as the country observes Valentine’s Day, when everyone is supposed to be happy and at peace with each other. He reiterated he had a good meeting with the Speaker.
“What is good about it [is] we agreed to work together to pass legislation for our people [and] to set aside our rift,” Zubiri stated. Pressed if the public can expect no more word war between them and their chambers, he replied: “Of course, it all depends on the members of the House.”
Zubiri said it was the members of the House of Representatives who conducted daily press conferences to begin with. But he said his colleagues in the Senate are willing to let bygones be bygones, and continue to work for the people.