Drilon's ouster as Senate president seen

By Maricar M. Calubiran
Correspondent

Ilonggo Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the fight on who will be the next Senate president is between Senator Manuel Villar and Senate Minority Floor leader Aquilino Pimentel when the halls of congress open on July 26, 2005.

Santiago said it is already expected that changes will take place at the senate after Senator Franklin Drilon withdrew his support from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In order for Drilon to retain his position, he has to have the majority votes of 12 senators. At present, there are 23 senators and Drilon has only six senators from the Liberal Party who are supporting him.

She explained that it is up for the President to forgive Drilon on what he has done and retain him as senate president. The President calls the shot on who will assume as senate president or the speaker of the house being the titular head of the coalition. The majority group or those considered allies of the President will only wait for the signal on who to vote as senate president.

Though, there was an agreement earlier forged between Drilon and Villar that the latter will sit as the senate president on May 2006. However, changes at the senate helm will take place after Drilon left the majority group and it is a ticket to strip him away of the position.

Of the two possible contenders, Villar has an edge against Pimentel. He has already eight senators on the majority group to count in his bid for senate presidency. Though, there are nine senators in the minority group but not all of them will vote for Pimentel. Pimentel is at odds with Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, said Santiago.

Santiago added that Enrile has also a clout on some members of the opposition, all identified with ouster President Joseph Estrada. During the impeachment trial, Pimentel is against Estrada. Nothing is definite on the number of votes each senator can have.

The feisty Ilonggo senator said Villar, Pimentel and Drilon will have to negotiate to their fellow senators for them to have the so called majority votes and eventually assume as senate president comes July 26, 2005. Santiago explained that should one of the senators will declare all the positions in the senate vacant that means he has already the majority vote.