Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa shed copious tears after his “boss” – then Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri – was ousted Monday, but it turned out he was one of the 15 senators who signed a resolution supporting a change in leadership at the Upper House.
“I want to tell Migz, sorry boss, I failed to win the war for you. I am one of his trusted lieutenants,” Dela Rosa said on Tuesday.
Zubiri said he was “dumbfounded” by Dela Rosa’s action, which he said was “the strangest thing (to happen) in my political career.”
“If yesterday, I was heartbroken, now I’m dumbfounded,” Zubiri said. “I just don’t get it. I could not understand and grasp what transpired… It was surreal, like being in a twilight zone.”
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.
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.
Zubiri said it was “a bit painful,” considering that he even campaigned for Dela Rosa in his home province in Bukidnon.
Dela Rosa, however, said his vote was “immaterial” since the resolution was already signed by 14 senators, including his PDP-Laban colleagues Senator Francis Tolentino and Senator Christopher Go.
“My signature was already insignificant. They came to me after the battle had been won. They already had 14 signatures,” Dela Rosa said.
He added that he was bound by an agreement with his PDP-Laban colleagues to vote as one.
“We forged a covenant that the majority wins in every voting situation. In this case, the two of them decided to support Senator Francis Escudero. I want to stay (with Zubiri). I did not want to (vote for Escudero), but we have that covenant,” he said.
“If he is heartbroken, I am also heartbroken, my heart is really broken. Senator Zubiri is a very good leader. I love him very much. I respect him very much,” Dela Rosa added.