Cayetano to assume Senate presidency?

Back in the saddle and soon to be Senate president?

Sen. Rene Cayetano arrived from the United States yesterday morning after a successful liver transplant, and may now be fit to take over the leadership of the Senate from incumbent Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Cayetano and Drilon entered into a gentleman’s agreement that they would serve 18 months each as Senate president.

The agreement was reportedly reached to avoid creating a division in the Senate majority.

Drilon’s term, under the agreement, started in July 2001 and was supposed to end December 2002. Cayetano was supposed to have taken over the helm of the Senate on Jan. 1, 2003. But he had to fly to the US where he waited for several months to undergo a liver transplant.

Cayetano is currently the chairman of the Senate committees on energy and education.

Senators are divided on the issue of Cayetano’s possible takeover.

Sen. Robert Barbers, one of 10 senators who signed the gentleman’s agreement, said Cayetano should assume the Senate presidency is he is already fit to work.

"If (Cayetano) is physically fit and has fully recovered, he should work with Drilon to (fulfill) the agreement. If he is okay, I strongly suggest that he take over," he said.

Cayetano arrived at 6 a.m. yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on board a Philippine Airlines flight, with his wife Sandra and children Ren and Lino.

Taguig-Pateros Rep. Peter Allan Cayetano said his father, whom he fetched from the airport, is now in good condition. The elder Cayetano underwent a liver transplant operation last February at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

Cayetano has been on leave from the Senate since Oct. 28 last year.

Doctors from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, headed by Dr. Ernesto Domingo, will monitor his condition to help him fully recover.

Cayetano’s takeover as Senate president, according to Barbers, needs the vote of 13 senators. This means that for the agreement to take effect, the votes of three more senators are needed.

Sen. John Osmeña said that he will convince the members of the Senate minority to rally behind Drilon’s retention as Senate president, should Cayetano’s supporters push for a takeover.

"I am supporting Drilon. If Drilon loses the support of the majority, then I will talk to the 10 members of the minority to throw our support (behind) Drilon," he said.

Osmeña added that he does not "think we will come to that point. That is unnecessary because you cannot elect a Senate president unless you have 13 votes."

Reacting to Osmeña’s statement, Barbers said the Senate minority should not block Drilon from respecting his gentleman’s agreement with Cayetano.

"I’m okay for the retention of Drilon as Senate president. If Cayetano is physically fit, they (the Senate minority) should not push Drilon to stay," he said.

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay, for his part, said the Senate majority will have to conduct a caucus among themselves, and then another caucus among all senators, regarding Cayetano’s possible takeover as Senate president.

"We will have to wait for the meeting, a caucus of the majority and a caucus of the Senate as a whole. It’s hard to change the (Senate president) at this time," he said.

Magsaysay explained that it would be hard to change Senate presidents because "we are now in the 11th hour. Many things have already happened. We have the matter on excise tax. It’s a new ballgame now. This is a different situation. I would like the whole Senate to decide on this."

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who also signed the agreement, agreed with Magsaysay.

"I just have to wait for the result of the meeting that we have to conduct in the majority regarding this matter," he said.

Sen. Juan Flavier, on the other hand, said Cayetano "could legitimately assume the Senate presidency" based on the gentleman’s agreement between Cayetano and Drilon.

"(In) my personal opinion, I will honor my commitment to the sharing of the Senate presidency between Cayetano and Drilon. I think the return of Cayetano to the country is a good sign, in terms of his health, because he will not be allowed to return if he is not yet well," he said.