Independent senatorial aspirant Juan Miguel Zubiri on Wednesday graciously thanked the electorate for giving him a fresh mandate to serve in the Senate.
“We are very grateful for the trust voters have bestowed. We will work indefatigably in the Senate, so we can promptly craft measures meant to forcefully create jobs and new opportunities for Filipino families to achieve a higher standard of living,” Zubiri, who ran under the brand ‘Trabahador ng Senado,’ said.
Zubiri expressed gratitude especially to the people of Mindanao, where he emerged as the frontrunner in the senatorial race. He garnered the highest number of votes in Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and Caraga among all Senate hopefuls.
As of Wednesday morning, Zubiri ranked No. 6 overall in the race for 12 seats in the Senate, with the votes from 96 percent of precincts already in.
“Filipinos voted for strong action, not politics as usual, in Monday’s elections,” Zubiri said in a statement.
“Our people clearly want government, including the Senate, to get more work done faster – toward enabling every Filipino family to enjoy a superior quality of life,” he said.
Zubiri, meanwhile, acknowledged that the whole of southern Philippines is thrilled that for the first time in history, a Mindanaoan will preside over the country.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has claimed victory in the hotly contested presidential elections following the withdrawal of his rivals.
“Politics aside, this is a proud and emotional moment for all of Mindanao,” Zubiri said.
Zubiri ran as an independent but was nonetheless embraced by Duterte as one of his guest senatorial candidates.
In the election campaign, Zubiri had vowed to push for big cuts in individual income taxes to boost household disposable income, rev up consumer spending, multiply the demand for goods and services, energize domestic industries and produce jobs.
He had also promised to work for the rebuilding of the country’s aging infrastructure via new legislation that would consolidate all public works and transportation projects for the next 10 years, with a view to frontloading them in just three years.
“We have high hopes that members of the next Senate can set aside partisan politics, and work together to solve the country’s pressing challenges, especially the lack of gainful employment,” Zubiri said.
Despite economic growth, the Philippines’ 5.8-percent unemployment rate as of January remains the highest among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).
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About Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ F. Zubiri
Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri, 48, previously served as a member of the Senate for four years, and as a member of the House of Representatives for nine years, representing the third congressional district of Bukidnon. He posted perfect attendance records in Senate and House sessions. He also earned the reputation as the “first in, last out senator” — the first to report to work and the last to leave work most days.
As Senate Majority Leader, Zubiri directed the legislative business of the Senate, which passed more than 650 bills, many of which have helped to create badly needed jobs.
Zubiri is author of the Cooperative Code, the Renewable Energy Act, the Biofuels Act, the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations Act, among other laws.
Zubiri is married to newspaper lifestyle columnist Audrey Tan-Zubiri. They have three children.
