Kiko-Drilon row favors Villar in race for Senate President

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago hinted yesterday that the rivalry between Liberal Party members Senators Francis Pangilinan and Franklin Drilon, both aspirants for the Senate presidency, could work to the advantage of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party who wants his old post back.

Santiago gave her opinion yesterday after Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Edgardo Angara urged Drilon and Pangilinan to settle the issue on whom the LP would support for the Senate presidency.

“It looks like the LP is a house divided... They need to iron out their differences. Of course this is a golden opportunity for Villar to reach out to those LPs or those who are LP allies and then woo them with certain chairmanships,” Santiago said.

Villar, who was defeated in the last presidential elections, is reportedly eyeing the Senate presidency. He still has three years in his term as senator.

Angara said his group has started preliminary talks with Pangilinan and Drilon last week, but he advised the two LP leaders to settle their differences first.

Biazon had also urged his party mates to decide on who should be the candidate for Senate president “at their levels” to avoid dragging the entire party into the rivalry.

Santiago admitted that committee chairmanships remain a tipping factor for senators considering who to support for Senate president.

“That’s the basic language of negotiations for the newly elected officials of the Senate. It’s always conducted in the language of which committee do you want to chair. So you have to see to it that what his rival is offering for Senate presidency will supercede his own offer. That’s all that is needed every time there is reorganization of the Senate,” Santiago added.

“You should know how to shuffle committee chairmanships so everybody’s happy. If they do not get what they want, you can offer two minor chairmanships for example or CA (Commission on Appointments),” said Santiago, who supports Villar.

Meanwhile, Sen. Loren Legarda said the Senate presidency should not be a monopoly of one political party.

Legarda, who has allied herself with the group of Senator Angara and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, stressed the need for the Senate to be independent from Malacañang.  

She said the Senate presidency should be settled by consensus of all senators and not by one political party.

“First, Malacañang should not interfere in the internal politics of the Senate. Second, we, the seven-member bloc, will support a Senate president that will truly reflect a reform agenda,” she said.

Legarda, who lost in the vice-presidential race in the May 10 polls, said it is important to have strategic alliances among senators from different parties.

“We must not just reflect one political color but we must be a cross party alliance for true and genuine reforms to serve the interest of our people and to meet the basic needs of our people,” Legarda said.

On the platform of change being espoused by Pangilinan, Legarda said the next Congress should work together in addressing poverty alleviation, joblessness, health and education, and the onslaught of climate change.