Migz Zubiri is Elected Senate President

(UPDATE) Sen. Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri was formally elected on Monday as the new president of the Philippine Senate for the 19th Congress.

With no objection from senators, Zubiri was elected as the new leader of the chamber following nominations from Senators Joel Villanueva, Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, Grace Poe, Ronald Dela Rosa, and JV Ejercito.

READ: Are Senators Still Presidents in Waiting?

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Pia Cayetano, in a manifestation, said they did not participate in the voting as they sought to remain independent senators. Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Sen. Risa Hontiveros also said they abstained from the voting.

"It is with humility that I accept this position. I do so conscious of the burden it carries and committed to the work it entails," Zubiri said in a message following his election.

"As presiding officer, I may wield the gavel but not the power of this institution. That power is shared by us all, by every one of you, and more so our main responsibility of responding to the needs of the people and respecting their will," he added.

Legarda was also elected Senate President Pro Tempore, while Villanueva was elected Senate majority leader. Pimentel has been designated as the Senate minority leader.

Zubiri, who received another six-year term after winning the May 9 senatorial elections, was part of the UniTeam slate of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

He will lead his fellow senators later in the day as they joined their fellow lawmakers in the House of Representatives to listen to Marcos' first State of the Nation Address.

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