SEN. Juan Ponce Enrile was sworn in this afternoon as the new Senate president in a coup that caught Senate President Manuel Villar and his allies by surprise.
Enrile, whose oath of office was administered by Sen. Gregorio Honasan Jr. at 4 p.m. when the chamber opened its plenary session, was supported by administrator senators and several opposition senators, including Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.
Following Villar’s ouster, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. resigned their posts as majority and minority leaders.
Pangilinan was replaced by Juan Miguel Zubiri as Senate majority leader.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano resigned as chair of the blue ribbon committee. The committee is probing the P728 million fertilizer fund scam and the Moscow incident involving retired police comptroller Eliseo de la Paz, among other cases.
Initial reports said the coup against Villar was orchestrated by senators who are alumni of the Philippine Military Alumni: Honasan (1971), Biazon (1961) and Panfilo Lacson (1971).
Lacson, who had earlier linked Villar to the double entry in the 2008 national budget for the expansion of the C-5 Road, nominated Enrile as the new Senate president. “Nothing is spontaneous here in the Senate. It’s planned,” he said of Villar’s ouster.
Enrile said nine senators initially approached him with a resolution to effect change in the Senate leadership and four more signed on later. “I’m surprised, I’m overwhelmed,” he said. “I’ll make sure that the Senate will maintain its independence and integrity.”
Lacson nominated Enrile as the new Senate president. “Nothing is spontaneous here in the Senate. It’s planned,” he said of Villar’s ouster.
Enrile said nine senators initially approached him with a resolution to effect change in the Senate leadership and four more signed on later. “I’m surprised, I’m overwhelmed,” he said. “I’ll make sure that the Senate will maintain its independence and integrity.”
The nine senators were Lacson, Honasan, Biazon, Zubiri, Jamby Madrigal, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Edgardo Angara and Richard Gordon. The four who later approved the resolution were Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Escudero, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid.
Senators Pimentel, Pangilinan, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Joker Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III. Jr. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was absent.
Malacanang denied any involvement in Villar’s ouster.
Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio said in a statement: “We respect the independence of any action taken by the Senate regarding its own organization. The Palace had no involvement whatsoever in the Senate’s leadership change. Nonetheless, we extend our warm felicitations and congratulations to the new senate president, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and look forward to fresh opportunities for greater cooperation between the Executive and Legislative branches in addressing the pressing challenges and problems confronting the nation.”–Ellen Tordesillas
Posted at 4:50 p.m., 17 November 2008