Some lawmakers rejected and described as too flimsy the claim of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, who attributed the recent ouster of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri from the Senate presidency to the issues of the so-called “artista bloc.”
Dela Rosa said the plot was unleashed when Zubiri initially refused to allow Sen. Ramon Revilla, Jr. to attend the Senate plenary session virtually after he underwent surgery for his Achilles tendon injury.
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 Robinhood Padilla, Lito Lapid, and the new Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada—them being actors turned politicians.
But in a media briefing Wednesday night, Padilla said their group had nothing to do with it. 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. However, it did not push through since many opposed Estrada being fielded to replace Zubiri. They had misgivings on Estrada leading the Senate due to his bribery conviction.
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 had committed to support Zubiri, but later on turned back on him and voted to install Sen. Francis Escudero as the new Senate President.
The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief even hid in the office of Sen. Francis Tolentino before signing the resolution. Dela Rosa said he was persuaded by Escudero and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to sign the paper.
Padilla, Tolentino, and Dela Rosa are party mates under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) with the former serving as acting president.
When Zubiri delivered his resignation address on the Senate floor last Monday, he was not aware that Dela Rosa sided with Escudero.
Dela Rosa turned emotional while listening to Zubiri who even thanked him. The former cop was also seen hugging Zubiri’s wife, Audrey, who was in the Senate gallery.
Some senators who did not want to be named said Revilla’s medical condition was a shallow reason to unseat Zubiri.
They are convinced it was the controversial ‘PDEA Leaks’ hearing, chaired by Dela Rosa, aside from weak developments on Charter Change that triggered the axe to fall on Zubiri’s leadership in the Senate.