MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Monday, July 24, assured the public of an “independent Senate” that will be ready to defend “unpopular but correct” policies.

“We will sail against the wind, so to speak, even meeting headlong the gust of public opinion and to stay the course for as long as we know that we are right. So those unpopular but correct, we will defend. The plenary’s mood should not be dictated by any political weather vane,” Zubiri said at the opening of the second regular session of the 19th Congress.

This was exactly what the Senate had done in the first regular session of the 19th Congress, when it fast tracked the approval of the controversial Maharlika bill, a priority legislation of the Marcos administration, amid strong opposition to the measure by various groups and sectors.

Zubiri said in Filipino that the Senate will “give back” to the people through “genuine service, honest governance, truthful explanation of issues, and courage to correct what’s wrong.”

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– Rappler.com