Osmeña willing to give back post to Ople

Senate President Pro Tempore John Osmeña said yesterday that he would most willingly give back his post to Senate President Blas Ople once the latter yields his post to Senate Majority Leader Franklin Drilon.

Ople, the former Senate President Pro Tempore, has confirmed that he will relinquish the top Senate position to Drilon on April 17 in accordance with a gentlemen's agreement forged at Malacañang last July.

Osmeña said that he was merely holding the No. 2 Senate post "in trust" for Ople.

"I will precipitate the return of the post to Ople by resigning so that his formal election could be made," he said.

He stressed, however, that he would not be resigning from the chairmanship of the Senate committee on finance.

A source close to Drilon said there would be no problem in having Ople as Senate President Pro Tempore. However, there has been no indication so far that Ople would still be interested in the No. 2 post.

Osmeña, who is from the Visayas, said that the No. 2 Senate post should be occupied by somebody from Luzon or Mindanao, since Drilon is from the Visayas. Ople is from the Luzon province of Bulacan. --