00:00Shake-ups and strategic moves continue to unfold in the Senate as alliances form and policy priorities take center stage.
00:08From the experience of a veteran block to proposals on increases student welfare and digital safety,
00:14lawmakers are gearing up for intense legislative action in the 20th Congress as our Daniel Manalastas reports.
00:22There is a new emerging block in the Senate called the Veteran Block as announced by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.
00:31Four veteran lawmakers composed of Zubiri himself along with Senators Tito Soto, Panfilo Lacson and Lauren Legarda.
00:39Zubiri is aware that there are rumors that Senate President Jesus Codero will most likely retain his post.
00:46But Zubiri expressed support to a different senator.
00:49And we're, of course, initially we were pushing for Senator Soto as the Senate President because I was his majority leader.
01:02I'm a loyal majority leader of the Senate President.
01:05So I, many, many, of course, gossip have been coming out stating that Senate President Escudero has 13 votes, 13 signatures.
01:16He may have the 13 signatures, but I'm hoping and praying that at the end of the day, we all decide to have a Senate President that will continue its independence as a last bastion of democracy.
01:32Meanwhile, in the other news in the Senate, Senator Jovan Villanueva welcomed the news of 50 pesos wage hike in the NCR but pushes for better rates through a living wage policy.
01:44Senator Rafi Tulfo, meanwhile, appealed to DOTR to add exclusive ticket boots for students riding the LRT and MRT.
01:53Tulfo received reports of slow and inefficient validation process for those availing student fare discounts in some stations of LRT and MRT.
02:04That's why he reminded that the goal of students' fare discount is to make public transportation affordable and accessible to students.
02:13Daniel Manalastas from the National TV for a New and Better Philippines.
