MANILA, Philippines - Up until yesterday, all rumors about plans to unseat Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile were just that – rumors.
That was until Enrile himself confirmed that there were some Senate members unhappy with the way he was running the chamber.
He declined to provide specific information but said “a reliable source” told him about the reported plot to replace him as Senate president.
“There are always people who are unhappy with the leadership of anybody. I got the information from a reliable source but I will not discuss that,” Enrile said.
Rumors of a Senate coup have always been around, and on every occasion the senators would almost always deny involvement.
Enrile has always said that his position was the result of the trust and confidence given to him by his colleagues and as such, could easily be taken away from him.
“Why should I prevent anyone who aspires to take this seat in the Senate? I will personally vote for anyone who the majority wants to vote for,” he said.
He said that there are certain reasons why his colleagues would be dissatisfied with him – from items in the budget to certain positions on matters important to some senators.
“Of course I cannot please everyone. So even if I say I want you to be happy, it is difficult to make everyone happy,” Enrile said.
Numbers game
The usual suspects in the coup rumors, the administration’s Liberal Party (LP), see no reason to replace Enrile now.
LP Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that he has not heard anything about the reported coup and claimed that the LP “sees no reason to rock the boat.”
Sen. Franklin Drilon, another LP stalwart, downplayed the coup rumors, saying that if there is a serious attempt to install a new Senate president, this would be done fairly quick as long as the protagonists have the necessary numbers.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said as much because based on his experience, the leadership change could come as quickly as one session day, with a majority coming to an agreement and installing a new Senate president during the plenary session.
As far as Enrile’s allies are concerned, the Senate President should be able to hold on to his position in spite of the reported coup plots.
Senate President Pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said that they have not heard of the plot and do not expect to be told about it if ever it actually exists.
Both count five senators, including Enrile, who would be out of the loop as far as this matter is concerned because of their support for the Senate President.
Apart from the three, Sotto said that Senators Gregorio Honasan and Lacson would also be in the tight knit circle of Enrile allies.
“So if something does happen, you would already know which five senators would be in the minority,” Sotto said in jest.