Bong to support Kiko - Jinggoy

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ramon Bong Revillla has committed to support the Senate presidency bid of Liberal Party bet Sen. Francis Pangilinan, according to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

“Senator Bong has committed already,” Estrada, who is currently in Los Angeles, said in an interview.

Estrada said that he ran into Revilla in the US and the issue of the Senate presidency came up during their conversation.

He denied reports that he went to the US just to meet with Revilla, saying that he was there to accompany his wife for a medical check-up.

With this development, Pangilinan could very well be the next Senate president now that he apparently has the 13 votes needed to secure the post.

Revilla is part of the “magnificent seven” group of Sen. Edgardo Angara, which is said to be the deciding factor in the race for the Senate presidency.

Other members of the group are Senators Manuel Lapid Jr., Gregorio Honasan, Vicente Sotto III, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Loren Legarda.

Prior to Revilla’s supposed commitment to Pangilinan, Lapid had also hinted that he was for Pangilinan.

Lapid was recently quoted as saying that he will support President Benigno Aquino III and his administration when asked about his choice for the Senate presidency.

Estrada said that Honasan would also vote for Pangilinan because he is also the choice of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Enrile and Estrada are committed to vote for Pangilinan as the representatives of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino.

“Gringo will not break away from Manong Johnny,” Estrada said.

Honasan previously stated that he and Sotto have agreed to vote for the same candidate.

With the four members of the Angara group now supporting Pangilinan, the group has lost its significance as the possible swing vote in favor of a particular candidate for the Senate presidency.

Angara and Zubiri have yet to make up their minds on who they want to support while Legarda has made it clear that she would back Senator Manuel Villar Jr.’s bid because she was his running mate in last May’s presidential elections.

Pangilinan now has the edge over Villar with 12 votes seemingly in the bag already.

These are Senators Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto, Teofisto Guingona Jr., Sergio Osmeña III, Estrada, Enrile, Revilla, Honasan, Lapid, Sotto and Francis Escudero.

Escudero is expected to vote for Pangilinan as the bet of the LP, which is chaired by President Aquino, whom he supported in last May’s elections.

The 13th vote that Pangilinan needs to secure the Senate presidency could come from detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV if he is allowed to attend the opening of session this July 26.

Pangilinan visited Trillanes on more than one occasion at his detention cell in Camp Crame and has apparently secured his vote.

Trillanes has posted bail before the Makati Regional Trial Court where he was charged with rebellion for his participation in the siege of the Peninsula Manila Hotel in 2007.

He is also facing a charge of coup d’etat for his participation in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny.

Villar has six votes so far, namely Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo, who has long been an ally of Villar.

Meanwhile, Enrile has reiterated his suggestion that the Senate secretary take over as the temporary Senate president to preside over the session on July 26.

The senators are expected to vote for a Senate president during the opening of the session but before this is done, the post is vacant because the term of Enrile, the most recent Senate president, ended last June 30.

Sen. Osmeña explained that Enrile would have been allowed to continue as Senate president this July 26 if he was one of the senators whose terms had not yet expired.

Osmeña said that the senators would designate an acting Senate president just for that session day or until such time that a new Senate president is chosen.

Enrile said that it would be best for Senate secretary Emma Reyes to take over in the meantime.