MANILA - The ongoing battle for the Senate presidency between Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Cynthia Villar is expected to heat up when both houses of Congress declare sine die adjournment on June 3.

Courting of colleagues’ support continues between the two contenders, who also represent the "Seatmates" for Zubiri and "Mama Bears" for Villar.

"Seatmates" members under the incoming 19th Congress are Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda. and Zubiri.

Senate sources claimed independent Senator Lito Lapid who is a "Macho Bloc" member and incoming chamber member Raffy Tulfo, have also assured Zubiri of their votes.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a staunch supporter of Senator Cynthia Villar’s "bridge" to Zubiri, meantime named his colleagues who belong to the "Mama Bear’s Group" as: Dela Rosa; Bong Go; Imee Marcos; Francis Tolentino; Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr; Cynthia Villar and son, Mark Villar; and Robin Padilla.

Dela Rosa said the senior Villar was the first who sought their support for the SP race as early as before the May 2022 elections.

Zubiri has sought the same support of his colleagues, only after winning the senatorial race.

Dela Rosa said he will not abandon Villar, but added that both groups will join the "supermajority" bloc.

"Yung dalawang grupo namang grupo na 'yan hindi naman magkakalaban. Pareho naman kaming supportive sa incoming administration of BBM (Bongbong Marcos). Dapat mag-unify yung dalawang grupo para magkaroon ng supermajority," Dela Rosa said.

As proof of their commitment to unify both camps, Villar has even offered Zubiri to enter the "term-sharing" scheme, Dela Rosa said.

"Open naman si Sen. Cynthia ng term-sharing. In fact nag-offer siya noon pa. I’m not sure with Migz kung okay sa kanya," Dela Rosa said.

Zubiri, in an earlier interview Monday, said: "I have members of my bloc who do not want the idea of term-sharing unfortunately."

Villar has yet to comment on the issue.

Her ally, Senator Imee Marcos, however, feels that it’s time to think about the scenario of building a "supermajority" force in the Senate.

"I think that at all cost we need to have a supermajority. Our country faces a challenging future. We need to be together, we need a Senate Uniteam. Kung ano ang sakripisyo, compromise na kinakailangan gawin, gawin na natin para magkaisa," said Marcos, a sister of incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

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