MANILA — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he respects the decision of the "Solid 7" senators to remain independent. 

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday said there are no talks yet for them to join the minority.

Zubiri was replaced by Escudero in May. 

The "Solid 7" bloc includes Zubiri, Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Loren Legarda, and Joel Villanueva.

“Ang tagal na nalang sinasabi ‘yan. Para sa akin, ulitin ko pa rin ang sagot ko, iisa ang tingin ko sa Senado, majority o minority man, wala akong tinitingnang pito. Kung ‘yun ang tingin nila, ginagalang ko ang kanilang opinyon. Hindi ko lang maunawaan kung bakit palaging kailangan pang sabihin ito ng paulit-ulit,” Escudero said.

(They have been saying that for a long time. For me, I will repeat myself, I look at the members of the Senate in the same way, majority or minority, I don’t look at seven. If the is their view, I respect that. I just don’t understand why that has to be repeated several times.)

“Hindi ko maintindihan ‘yung salitang ‘independent’ na iyan. Dahil mulat mula, lahat naman kami independent, majority man o minority,” he added.

(I don’t understand that word ‘independent’. Because in the first place, we are all independent, majority or minority.)

According to Escudero, it is for Zubiri’s group to decide if they will stay in the majority.