Sen. Juan Miguel 鈥淢igz鈥� F. Zubiri. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Ousted Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has some advice to present and future Senate chiefs: 鈥淒o not be too comfortable in your seat.鈥�
Zubiri remarked in a Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday after being asked to comment on the alleged ouster plot against his successor, Senate President Chiz Escudero.
According to Zubiri, ouster plots are a 鈥渘ormal occurrence鈥� in the chamber, especially when the institution is about to go on session break.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a normal occurrence. I think if you are Senate President, don鈥檛 be too comfortable in your seat as Senate President,鈥� said Zubiri.
The former Senate President said present and future chiefs of the chamber should 鈥渁lways be ready to be replaced鈥� or to 鈥渞espect the decision of the majority.鈥�
鈥淢y advice to Senate Presidents, current and future, is to never warm up too much on your seat [and] never be too attached to your office,鈥� said Zubiri.
For his part, Escudero already dismissed these coup d鈥檈tat talks as mere rumors.
鈥淒iyos ko, huwag na! Papatulan ko 鈥榶ung mga kwento niyong kalokohan?鈥� Escudero told reporters in an ambush interview on Monday when he was asked to comment on the alleged coup d鈥檈tat attempts against his leadership.
(My God, let鈥檚 not. Why would I meddle with your silly stories?)
Though he refused to comment on 鈥渕ere rumors,鈥� Escudero reiterated that officers of the Senate, including the Senate President, serve at the pleasure of the majority.
鈥淲hy will I comment on mere rumors from unknown sources?聽 Suffice it to say [that] the entire senate leadership serves at the pleasure of the majority,鈥� the Senate leader said in a separate Viber message.
Senators Loren Legarda and Sen. Cynthia Villar聽are at the center of these coup rumors, both of whom denied their involvement in the alleged ouster plot.