Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Senate chief ouster imminent: senator
MANILA -- Senator Franklin Drilon's days as president of the Upper Chamber are numbered and Malacañang will not lift a finger to make him stay a day longer.
One of the lawmakers reportedly being considered to replace Drilon, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, said Monday the Senate president's ouster is inevitable because it is "anomalous" for him to remain in his post.
"It is anomalous for an opposition senator to remain as Senate President when the Senate majority is composed of administration senators. This kind of political equation does not compute because administration bills would be log-jammed," Santiago said.
Santiago was apparently referring to Drilon's call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last July 8, which made the Senate president a de facto member of the opposition even if he used to be one of the President's staunchest supporters.
She explained that the only reason Drilon remains Senate president "for the moment" is because the senators who want to replace him are "still discussing political philosophy."
"The administration senators will not leave Drilon free to strike a voting alliance with the Senate majority. Otherwise, the result would be that the administration would become the new minority, and the opposition would become the new majority. Further, the administration senators would be bumped off their committee chairmanships, which for some would be a fate worse than death," Santiago said.
Two groups of senators are reportedly working to replace the Senate chief with either Santiago or Senator Manuel Villar, with whom Drilon has a term-sharing agreement.
Santiago said she would only accept the Senate presidency if it would be offered to her.
"My first and last word on the subject is that if it is offered, I shall accept. Otherwise, I am not campaigning because I am a 'marooned' senator, in the sense that I do not belong to any power bloc," Santiago added.
Malacañang had said it will stick to its policy of not meddling in the internal affairs of the Senate, explaining that would be "imprudent".
"If there is the slightest form of intervention by the Palace, people in the Senate and other places would know about it. The fact that nobody is talking about it means the Palace has nothing to do with reorganization moves in the Senate," said presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio.
Claudio said Senator Juan Flavier was correct in observing earlier that the Palace should not interfere in the impending Senate reorganization despite the decision of Drilon and other members of the Liberal Party to break away from the administration.
For his part, Drilon reiterated that he is leaving his fate to his colleagues in the Senate. "The Senate presidency is a gift of 13 senators. Whether or not I will stay on as Senate president, that I am leaving to the decision of my colleagues," Drilon said.
Nonetheless, Drilon said he remains confident that he enjoys the support of majority of the senators. (Manila Standard Today/JPM/Sunnex)
(August 2, 2005 issue)
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