Former Senate President and Liberal Party (LP) stalwart Franklin Drilon insisted that Senators Bam Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan did not switch directions and are pursuing the same advocacies as they promised during the 2025 senatorial campaign.
“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 said.
Drilon issued the pronouncement amid reports that Aquino and Pangilinan are slated to join the majority bloc in the 20th Congress and will head the education and agriculture committees.
“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.
