Recto, Pangilinan downplay defection claims by opposition

All sound and fury!

This was the reaction of Senators Ralph Recto and Francis Pangilinan to claims of the opposition that up to five members of the majority coalition would defect to the minority, enabling it to wrest the leadership of the Senate from Franklin Drilon.

"That is an empty threat. I don’t see that happening," Recto said.

Pangilinan said that a majority senator would shift to the other side only if his political survival is at stake.

"At the moment, I don’t see anybody’s political survival at stake in the majority coalition. It is even more probable that the political survival of some opposition senators is at greater risk," Pangilinan added.

Recto refuted some media reports naming him as one of the members of the Senate majority about to defect to the opposition.

Earlier, Senators John Osmeña and Noli "Kabayan" de Castro denied that they would be joining the opposition.

Recto said that while he had some questions about the policies of the Arroyo administration and of Drilon, these would not impel him to turn his back on the majority coalition.

"I can still work within the majority. There is no reason for me to abandon my colleagues; I have no reason to be disgruntled," he said.

Pangilinan acknowledged that there were rumblings within the majority coalition during the budget deliberations that ended last Dec. 22.

Among those who had expressed disenchantment, principally for their being left out of a select panel of the bicameral conference committee, were Senators Robert Barbers and Ramon Revilla.

"But all differences were ironed out immediately in a majority caucus. The disenchantment was properly addressed and everybody came out satisfied," said Pangilinan, who also played a key role in appeasing frayed nerves during the confrontation at the pivotal majority caucus.

"There is no disenchantment that would cause our members to desert us – unless other factors come in, but I don’t see any," he added.

Recto predicted that nothing would come out of the claims of the opposition on an impending overhaul of the Senate leadership.

"If that is true, they would not have discussed it with the media. They would have just done it. No such change will take place, and this will only put the opposition in a bad light," he said.

At the same time, he urged the opposition to stop all attempts to unseat Drilon.

"If a new Senate President is installed, will that create new jobs, ease poverty, lower energy costs? I don’t see these things happening, so the opposition might as well forget its plan to get the Senate leadership," Recto said.

He contended that a takeover by the opposition would even worsen things.

"There is easier communication between President Arroyo and Senate President Drilon. It is easier for a member of the administration coalition to work with the President than a member of the opposition," Recto added. – Efren Danao