Enrile ousts Villar in Senate coup

Rather than be humiliated in public, Senator Manny Villar on Monday chose to step down as Senate president in light of a resolution signed by 13 senators declaring the position vacant.

“I have been informed just this afternoon that I no longer have the support of the majority of my colleagues. I now therefore formally tender my resignation. I am now released from the burden of the Senate presidency. I shall be happy now to devote more time as a fiscalizer, I shall now have more time with our people in the countryside, and also with my family,” Villar said.

Administration Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was installed as new Senate president.

The position caps the 85-year-old Enrile’s storied career in public service that saw him as defense minister during the dreaded martial law regime and one-man minority in at the start of the post-Edsa revolution Senate, during which he was jailed for alleged plots to unseat Cory Aquino.

Enrile is the 21st Senate president since Manuel Quezon.

“Even as I honestly never sought the position of Senate president for myself, I can tell you that no honor or recognition can compare to one such as this, which comes from my own peers. Allow me this opportunity to ask you, my colleagues, to forgive my shortcomings. I am an old man who has acquired some bad habits of sometimes being arrogant, rude, harsh with my words, insensitive and impatient. Yet, you have so kindly overlooked these shortcomings and generously chose me to be your leader,” Enrile said.

Although only 13 signed the ouster resolution, 14 actually voted on the floor of the change in leadership.

Those who voted to replace Villar with Enrile as Senate president were: Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Jamby Madrigal, Bong Revilla, Mar Roxas, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Enrile himself. Nine of them, including Enrile, previously voted for Villar.

There were no negative votes.

Six abstained in the Senate leadership change: Joker Arroyo, Alan Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel jr., Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III.
Four of them are from the so-called Wednesday group identified with Villar: Joker Arroyo, Alan Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, and majority leader Francis Pangilinan.

Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Benigno Aquino III also abstained despite the fact they were with the minority that formed the core group of the oust-Villar move.

Enrile, as martial law administrator, was the chief jailer of Pimentel and Aquino’s father, Ninoy.


Villar’s allies admitted the ouster move came as a surprise even as coup talks have hounded Villar’s leadership since day one of the 14th Congress.

Not a few have speculated Villar’s declared intention to run for president in 2010, and the perceived advantage given by the Senate presidency was the underlying reason for the ouster move.

As if by coincidence, Villar was ousted just hours after the release of a Pulse Asia survey on presidentiables showing him tied for second place from a previous fifth place.

But Alan Cayetano believes this would only serve to boost Villar’s political plans.

“Mas lalakas kasi, may time na siyang magikot sa buong bansa. I don’t think people look at candidates kung anong hawak nilang posisyon, and I never felt malaki talaga ang advantage ni Senator Villar sa masa just because of his position

But Lacson insists the 2010 race was farthest from their mind.

He said the ouster move was prompted by ethical issues surrounding Villar’s C-5 extension project.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson led the oust-Villar move after the C-5 issue came about. “That was the time naging serious ang efforts para maghanap ng bagong leader,” Lacson said.

In the wake of the leadership change, Pangilinan and Pimentel resigned as majority and minority leaders respectively.

Cayetano also relinquished the blue ribbon committee chairmanship in anticipation of a shakeup in committee assignments.

With the installation of an administration ally as Senate chief, the chamber will be under intense scrutiny for its position on issues adversely affecting Malacañang.

But Enrile and his backers maintain the Senate will remain independent from the Palace. abs-cbnnews.com