Villar resigns as Senate President

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 6) Senator Manuel Villar resigned Monday as president of the Senate, saying he had learned that he no longer had the support of the majority of senators.

Villar announced his resignation in a speech at the start of the day’s session, saying he would be replaced by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president

Fourteen senators voted for Enrile, namely, Edgardo Angara, Rodolfo Biazon, Jose Estrada, Francis Escudero, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Ana Consuelo Madrigal, Ramon Revilla, Manuel Roxas II and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Five abstained from the vote: Francis Pangilinan, Joker Arroyo, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Benigno Aquino III and Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Absent were Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Villar said, “The tenure of the Senate president, as everyone knows, epends on the number of members that supports him or her. I've been informed this afternoon that I no longer have the support of the majority members. I now, therefore tender my resignation.”

“I congratulate the new Senate president, Honorable Senator Juan Ponce Enrile,” he said. "You, Mr. Senate President, have my support."

The session was suspended briefly after Villar’s speech.

A radio report said Senator Alan Peter Cayetano subsequently resigned as chairman of the “blue ribbon committee”—the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation—to pave the way for a reorganization of committees.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has also resigned as minority floor leader.

Estrada presided over the remainder of the session, and Lacson immediately took the floor and moved to nominate Enrile as the new Senate president. Honasan seconded Lacson’s motion.

In an interview with reporters, Lacson said the controversy around a “double entry” in the budget for an extension of the C-5 highway, which implicated Villar, triggered the move for a change in the Senate leadership. He said the move to oust Villar became a "work in progress" from then on.

"How did it happen?” Lacson said to reporters. “It was actually work in progress for so many weeks ever since the double entry."

“You know, if there is perception that the Senate leadership is damaged because of the C-5 controversy, most of the members, the majority at least of the members of the Senate, will be thinking that the whole Senate could be affected,” he added.

Lacson said the number of senators needed to oust Villar was reached only on Monday noon. inquirer.net