Manila, Philippines — Senator Mark Villar officially joined the Senate majority bloc on Thursday.
Majority Leader Migz Zubiri confirmed the move after the Senate elected Villar to two positions held by the majority.
Following the transition, Villar was elected as a member of the Commission on Appointments and as chairperson of the Committee on Public Works, positions previously held by Zubiri and Senator Tito Sotto.
With this development, the Senate majority bloc now has 14 members.
It may be recalled that Villar also voted in favor of setting the impeachment trial’s voting threshold at two-thirds, depending on the number of senators who are capable of voting.
Meanwhile, the minority bloc now has only 10 members.
Three of them are currently unable to participate in the trial despite having taken their oaths as senator-judges.
They are Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, who are currently detained, and Senator Loren Legarda, who has been on medical leave since August.
Meanwhile, Senator Bato Dela Rosa remains in hiding amid an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.