CinemaBravo

Former Senate President and Liberal Party (LP) stalwart Franklin Drilon clarified that Senators Bam Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan remain consistent with their long-standing advocacies, even as they are reportedly joining the Senate majority in the 20th Congress.

Amid reports of their impending alignment with the majority bloc and their upcoming leadership of the education and agriculture committees, Drilon emphasized that the two senators have not strayed from their original campaign platforms.

“They didn’t switch directions. Bam campaigned on the platform of education. Kiko campaigned on the platform of food security. That’s precisely what they are pursuing by getting into the majority bloc to head the committees on which they stood as an issue when they were campaigning,” Drilon explained.

“There’s no real opposition or administration bloc. Each senator wants to project his or her own program or policies,” Drilon said, adding that “the platform has become personal.”

Senator JV Ejercito echoed Drilon’s sentiment, saying it’s common for Senators to cross party lines to support legislation that benefits the public.

“We cross party lines in the Senate as long as we focus on the issues and measures that will really be beneficial. Party colors are often set aside. We should be colorblind and simply support what’s good for the people,” Ejercito emphasized.

Aquino and Pangilinan recently filed their respective pet bills for the 20th Congress. Aquino initially filed 10 education-related measures, and he followed it with another set of proposals dubbed “10 Panukalang Batas para sa Abot-Kayang Pamumuhay.”

Pangilinan’s legislative priorities focus on his advocacy for agriculture and his proposal to provide free breakfast for public school students from kindergarten to Grade 12.