Honasan, Escudero downplay new plot to oust Villar

Senators Gregorio Honasan and Francis Escudero downplayed reports that there is a new plot reportedly being hatched by the Liberal Party to replace Senate President Manuel Villar Jr.

Escudero and Honasan said they have nothing to do with reports that former Senate president Franklin Drilon and other LP stalwarts led by presidential aspirant Sen. Manuel Roxas II are planning to oust Villar as Senate president.

“No such meeting took place, there was no meeting. No one approached me, wrong address, wrong location, I stay in Marikina City,” said Honasan, who has been tagged as a “perennial coup plotter” in various administrations in the past.

Reports said the Drilon-led faction of the LP had met twice recently to discuss ways to convince the majority of the 23 senators to vote against Villar once the LP opposition moves to declare the seat vacant upon resumption of Congress next year.

If ever there would be an ouster move, Honasan said that would be the call of the majority.

“No one has approached me for a change in leadership,” said Honasan, who was against moves to change the Senate leadership.

Asked if a coup against the Senate leadership would succeed, Honasan said that is not his call to make. “(But) we have so much work to do in terms of legislation. I have so many referrals to my committees on public order and safety, and agrarian reform,” he said.

“Maybe I am not interested. I have plans of my own for my legislative work, it might include 2010. But I am an independent, that is my problem,” he added.

Escudero believes that there is no reason to replace Villar. “There are no issues against him,” Escudero said.

Roxas denied reports that he or other LP leaders are working to oust Villar. 

“There was a question as to a Liberal Party plot. I am not aware of any such plot, of any such conversation. I certainly have not been in any meetings. It was reported to me that such meetings were held with me in attendance. I have not been to such meetings,” Roxas said.

Roxas, who is being groomed to be LP’s presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, said there was no LP plan to oust Villar.

Asked to rate the present Senate leadership over accomplishments, Roxas took a dig against some of his colleagues for initiating investigations on various issues which remained unresolved.

“We could have accomplished more. There could have been more focus on specific pieces of legislation. We passed many bills and tackled a lot, which is good, but I think that more focus could have been put on several other pieces of legislation, amendments to the Tax Code for example, and you saw the results of the investigations, they’re pretty much left hanging,” Roxas said.