Imee Marcos says colleagues urge her to run for Senate president, calls for budget, electoral reforms

Filipino Times

23-05-2025

Reelected Senator Imee Marcos revealed that some of her colleagues in the upcoming 20th Congress have encouraged her to seek the Senate presidency.
In a statement, Marcos said she had been approached by fellow senators but did not disclose how she responded.
'Some senators have approached me with the proposal to be their candidate for Senate President,' she said.
'Whoever will be elected by our peers, whether it is me or not, there are certain congressional reforms that need to be undertaken,' she added.
Among her top priorities is reforming the budgetary process, especially the practices observed during bicameral conference committee deliberations on the annual national budget.
'The most important is reform in the budgetary process. Tigilan na ang mahiwagang bicam,' she said.
'The right priorities in spending, considering our recurring fiscal deficits and huge indebtedness, must be legislated: food security and support to our farmers and fishermen; education; health and truly necessary social services.'
Marcos also took issue with a recent statement by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which said President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. will sit as an observer during the budget process.
'Parenthetically, once the OP (Office of the President) has submitted the NEP (National Expenditure Program) to Congress, the power of the purse must be respected,' she said.
'The DBM statement that the president will involve himself in the budgetary process after the NEP is submitted is infirm and unconstitutional.'
As of posting, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding Senator Marcos' remarks.
The senator also highlighted the need for electoral reforms, particularly those involving political parties, which she claimed have become 'mere tools for personal ambition rather than the public interest.'
'Above all, the Senate as the guardian of national interest must always be upheld; its independence non-negotiable,' she stressed.
Aside from Marcos, other senators reportedly in the running for Senate President are incumbent Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero and Senator-elect Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III.
Senator-elect Erwin Tulfo confirmed that both Escudero and Sotto have approached him for discussions on the Senate leadership.
'Parehas sila inimbitahan ako. They want to sit down with me. Si Sen. Tito Sotto. Ganun din si Sen. Chiz, pero sabi ko sa kanila pareho ay kausapin ko muna 'yung utol ko,' Tulfo said, referring to his brother, incumbent Senator Raffy Tulfo.
Tulfo said he has yet to make a commitment to either of the two, though he had a 'long discussion' with his brother about the matter.
Erwin Tulfo ran under the Marcos administration's Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas alongside Sotto, while Raffy Tulfo previously worked with Escudero in the 19th Congress.
While the Tulfo brothers have consulted each other, Erwin said his vote may still differ from his brother's.
'I need more time to consult because six years or three years… magiging Senate president. Kung mali ang mailuklok namin, yari tayo, walang patutunguhan,' he said.
'Kailangan ang Senate president kaya niyang pagkaisahin ang mga senador. Kailangan maraming batas ang maipasa para sa taumbayan, hindi 'yung pang-sariling interes. Dapat 'yung interes ng Senate president is interest ng pangkalahatan. Hindi lang ng senador, kundi ng taumbayan,' he added.
Reelected Senator Bong Go earlier confirmed that both Sotto and Escudero have also reached out to him about the Senate presidency.
Last week, reelected Senator Panfilo 'Ping' Lacson said that at least 13 senators in the 20th Congress are leaning toward electing a Senate president who is 'independent, transparent, and competent.