Zubiri addresses criticisms over 'tired' remark amid hectic Senate schedule

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday shrugged off criticisms on social media after he said that he was exhausted supposedly because he has to work for 12 hours a day amid the hectic schedule at the upper chamber. At a press conference, Zubiri explained that he was merely expressing what he felt during that time, pointing out that the Senate is simultaneously handling budget hearings, regular sessions, and the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. “Kasi ako, I'm very candid so I just tell them how I feel. Kaya naiipit ako minsan… No [I’m not complaining]. I’m being honest. It doesn't matter kung pagod na pagod ako, gagawin namin ang aming tungkulin bilang senador at impeachment court judges,” he said. “If we have to work 24/7, gagawin namin 24/7. Binanggit ko lang ang aking present condition at that time. Kasi nga napakahirap i-juggle lahat ng tatlong napakahalagang…activities ng Senate,” he added. Netizens lashed out at Zubiri after he made a manifestation on the 21st day of the impeachment trial, saying he was “pagod na pagod” (very tired) as he has to work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Currently, the Senate holds the impeachment trial from Monday to Wednesday, which starts at 10 a.m. and usually ends nearly 3 p.m., sometimes extending until 4 p.m. After the trial, the plenary session is conducted until early evening or until when the senators tackle all the legislative agenda for the day. Thursdays and Fridays are usually reserved for hearings, including the deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget. Senator Robin Padilla also defended Zubiri amid the backlash, saying that what the majority leader said was not a complaint, but a “reality shared” by all of the senators. “Kailanman po ay hindi nagreklamo si Senator Migz Zubiri patungkol sa aming trabaho. Ang tawag nga namin sa kanya ay ang ‘trabahador ng taongbayan sa Senado!’ Ang kanyang sinambit na pagod na pagod na siya ay hindi po isang pagrereklamo kundi ang katotohanan naming lahat,” Padilla said in a Facebook post. “Napakasipag na tao ni Senator Migz! Ang ibig lamang niyang sabihin at iparating ay kung paano namin mapagkakasya ang oras, araw, at ang isang linggo sa patong-patong na trabaho na may masusing pag-aaral,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News