Mark Villar switches side
Senator Mark Villar has left the chamber’s opposition and joined the majority faction, mostly allied with the administration, bringing its membership to 14.
The development emerged during the brief plenary session on Thursday, just before the Senate resumes Day 36 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
It was not formally announced on the plenary floor, but Majority Leader Migz Zubiri confirmed to reporters that Villar is already “part of the majority” after his election as chair of the Senate Public Works Committee and a member of the Commission on Appointments.
Villar’s defection from the minority came less than a month after the Ombudsman launched a preliminary probe into graft and administrative complaints against members of the Villar family in connection with their water utility company, PrimeWater.
His sister, Senator Camille Villar, remains on the opposing bloc led by Senator Alan Cayetano.
The crossover also came as verdict day loomed for Duterte, although Zubiri denied it had anything to do with alleged underhanded efforts to secure the votes needed to convict the VP and remove her from office.
“Senator Mark has been in the majority anyway from the very beginning,” Zubiri said in a chance interview. “[It] has nothing to do [with the impeachment] whatsoever. You know, being a member of the majority doesn't automatically mean you will vote for conviction or acquittal.”
‘Time will tell’
Senator Raffy Tulfo did not rule out the possibility of another minority senator switching camps, but he refrained from naming names.
“I’m not gonna tell you. It might be preempted. But I think there probably is,” he told reporters. “When? Time will tell.”
Tulfo’s remarks fueled speculation that Senator Loren Legarda may rejoin the majority after departing the bloc on 11 May to elect Senator Alan Cayetano, in favor of ousting then Senate President Tito Sotto.
Legarda, who has been on medical leave abroad since 3 August, has reportedly maintained open lines with the majority of her former peers.
Mark’s departure leaves the Cayetano-led faction with only 10 members, two of whom—Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta—are detained on plunder charges. Senator Bato dela Rosa, meanwhile, remains in hiding amid an International Criminal Court warrant.
Speculation suggested that it further weakened Cayetano and allies’ efforts to oppose lowering the conviction threshold for Duterte, although the administration senators maintained that they only amended the required number of votes and that detained and in-hiding senators could still vote if they personally appear on judgment day, tentatively set for late November.
Cayetano said he wishes Mark “well,” though he noted that his departure will not diminish the minority’s role as “fiscalizers and constructive oppositionist[s].”
“We understand all too well the circumstances and considerations that lead to changes in political alliances. Since May 11, it has become increasingly clear how important it is for this administration to maintain a closely allied working majority in the Senate,” the minority leader said.
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But regardless of how the political landscape shifts, our duty remains unchanged. We will continue to stand for what is right, uphold our institutions, and work for the good of our nation,” he added.
Mark’s crossing the aisle no longer came as a surprise. He also broke with his former allies on 23 September as the lone member of the Senate minority bloc to vote in favor of reversing the 6 July ruling, which effectively lowered the bar to convict Sara Duterte from 16 votes.