(ABS-CBN) MANILA — Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada maintained Tuesday that neither he, the Palace, nor Speaker Martin Romualdez had a hand in the ouster of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Estrada also declined to give details on the circumstances behind Zubiri’s ouster and replacement by new Senate President Francis Escudero.
“I need not tell the whole story because it’s already under the bridge. Water under the bridge ‘di ba?” Estrada said.
But he made it very clear that neither the Palace nor Romualdez had anything to do with the leadership change.
While he admits that he talked to one colleague, whom he did not name, on Escudero’s behalf, Estrada denies he orchestrated Zubiri’s ouster.
“Ang lumalabas kasi na bali-balita sa labas na ako raw ang nag-instigate ako raw ang nag-initiate nitong kudeta laban kay Senator Migz. ‘Di po totoo ‘yan, I am denying it outright I [had] no hand, I never initiated or instigated the ouster of Senate President Zubiri,” Estrada said.
(What is going around is that I initiated this coup. That’s not true.)
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Estrada disclosed he only talked to Escudero about the leadership change days before the Senate leadership shake-up.
“I received a call from Sen. Escudero three days ago before — three days ago — and he wanted to talk personally so I agreed to talk to him and he intimated to me that he was interested in the Senate presidency. Of course, I was asking a lot of questions, I agreed,” Estrada said.
To him, it was not a decision he made lightly.
“When I made my decision I felt so heavy not literally syempre mabigat din sa aking pakiramdam na tanggalin ang isang kaibigan.” Estrada said.
Estrada admitted Escudero offered his current position to him. He however declined to give his and his colleagues’ reasons for joining Escudero.
He maintained there are no outside forces behind the change.
Estrada assured the public that the Senate would remain independent even as he hoped for better relations with the House.
Estrada said he offered his chairmanship of the Labor Committee to former Majority Leader Joel Villanueva.
“I’m inclined to give up the Labor Committee in fact without the permission of the Senate President I already offered it to Senator Joel he being an expert in labor being the chairman of [Technical Education Skills and Development Authority] bakit sabi sa ‘kin ni Sen. Joel he is going to think about it,” Estrada said.
Estrada said his Committee on National Defense’s probe of the alleged wiretapping of a military official by the Chinese Embassy will push through on Wednesday.
READ: New Senate leaders emerge as some panels remain vacant
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