P-Noy begins pitch for ‘Big Man’ Frank

MANILA, Philippines - Talks are underway for the selection of the next Senate president, and President Aquino is obviously pitching for the “Big Man,” Sen. Franklin Drilon, to lead the chamber in the 16th Congress.

Aquino has openly expressed admiration for Drilon, Team PNoy campaign manager and architect of the administration slate’s win in the last elections.

Drilon confirmed yesterday that he met with Nacionalista Party (NP) president Manuel Villar Jr. to discuss the leadership of the Senate and the distribution of committees in the 16th Congress.

“We have so much admiration for the Big Man. He never complains, always stays calm and never disturbs anybody for no reason. If we were able to take care of the country well, that is because we have a very brilliant campaign manager in Frank Drilon,” Aquino said during the thanksgiving party of Team PNoy on Wednesday night in San Juan.

Drilon, vice chairman of the Liberal Party (LP), said he and Villar agreed that there would be a common candidate for Senate president from the Team PNoy coalition.

“Senator Villar assured us that the NP would continue to support the President and his legislative agenda in the Senate, that there will be a common candidate from the coalition and we will discuss the committees that the members of the NP would like to hold. More than 13 senators will choose a common candidate,” Drilon said.

Aside from the NP and LP, Team PNoy is composed of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and Akbayan party-list.

Nine Team PNoy members were elected senator in the last elections: Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Aquilino Pimentel III, Antonio Trillanes IV and Cynthia Villar.

Aside from Drilon, the LP has incumbent senators Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III.

Considered allies of the administration in the Senate are Sergio Osmeña III, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Manuel Lapid.

Although Aquino supports Drilon, he will not directly meddle in the selection of Senate leaders, confident that Drilon could do it by himself.

The President said they were able to relay the message of the coalition to the people and all the good news happening in the country under the leadership of Drilon as campaign manager.

He said Drilon had been through a lot of elections and is an expert in dealing with fellow senators or those running for senator.

Drilon admitted he is seeking the support of the senators to become Senate president. He said Aquino has asked him “how things have been going.”

He said it was Pimentel who started the talks about  the Senate presidency during the campaign.

“But I suppose that’s only in recognition for the help and the time and effort that we dedicated. And we are very thankful for their expression of support,” he said.

Asked about Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, of the NP, as a possible contender for the top Senate post, Drilon said there was no conflict between them.

“We’ve been supporting each other in the last three years. Alan Peter and Pia have always supported us, we have supported them and let’s leave it at that. They have supported us in our legislative agenda, particularly the sin tax. They were part of our bicameral conference committee and Pia supported the RH (reproductive health) bill wholeheartedly,” he said.

Drilon thanked Alan for reportedly saying he was his personal choice for Senate president.

If the NP would vote as a bloc for the Senate presidency, the administration would also have the support of Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Pia Cayetano.

Drilon said the President has not intervened in the discussions about the next Senate president.

“As our party leader, we keep him informed on a regular basis. But he does not intervene,” he said, adding his meeting with Villar was done independently and primarily to dispel speculations that the alliance between the NP and the administration would dissolve after the elections.

“Senator Villar assured us that the NP will continue to support the President and his legislative agenda in the Senate,” he said.

On the issue of the chairmanship of the committees in the 16th Congress, Drilon said this was taken up during his meeting with Villar because a number of senators are in their last terms and the new members would also have certain preferences.

“Certainly, the senators will choose their proposed committees on the basis on what they feel are their areas of competence and where they feel they can contribute to nation building,” he said.

Drilon expressed belief that the administration getting the majority bloc in the Senate is a foregone conclusion.

Traditionally, the majority bloc would have first crack at the committees and, depending on the discretion of the leadership, the minority bloc may or may not have any committees.

“The tradition in the Senate has been that we tap the expertise of each senator. I would like to continue that tradition,” Drilon said.

“Traditionally, and for the past several Congresses, each senator would be given his committee assignments. We really cannot satisfy everybody but we try to achieve a consensus to the extent that is humanly possible. All the 24 senators have their own strengths and as I’ve said, traditionally in past Congresses, all the senators have committees, except those who opt not to have one, like Senator Joker Arroyo,” he added.

Drilon said among the legislative measures that the administration would push are those related to Mindanao peace initiatives and economy to provide more jobs for the people.

“Examples are fixing the tax incentives and others pertaining to the economy,” Drilon said.

Asked if Team PNoy and the rest of the coalition members would support him, Drilon said: “We run on the basis of the platform of good governance. I am confident that the coalition will stick together in order that we can continue the reform agenda of President Noynoy.”

Jinggoy gives up

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada is giving up hope that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile will retain his post when the 16th Congress opens in July.

“I must admit they have the numbers, if they will really be united under one common candidate, I cannot do anything about it because they are the majority,” Estrada said.

He said he is also ready to give up his post as Senate president pro-tempore.

Aside from Enrile and Estrada, the opposition is composed of Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III, Sen. Gregorio Honasan and neophyte senators JV Ejercito and Nancy Binay.

Sen. Ramon Revilla, who is now at odds with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas of the LP, is said to be joining the opposition bloc.

Estrada said he is ready to become the minority leader if it so warrants. However, he is ready to give way in case Enrile or any of his colleagues want to be minority leader.

As this developed, sources said the NP senators will vote as a bloc with a concession that Sen. Alan Cayetano will be majority leader.

Reports said another NP allied senator is being eyed to replace Estrada as Senate president pro-tempore.

“There are still efforts to bring other senators to the Enrile bloc to enable them to retain the majority,” a source told The STAR.

“Since the opening of Congress is more than a month away, everything remains fragile.”

P-Noy hopes coalition will remain intact

Though it may seem impossible, President Aquino hopes the administration coalition will remain intact until 2016 and work to continue his reform agenda.

Aquino said the administration coalition’s success in the 2016 presidential elections will lie on the realization of its reform and development agenda in the next three years.

The President said he was grateful to the members of the coalition for the sacrifices they made to secure the support of the people.

“Of course I only have three more years remaining and when I am told, ‘How about after 2016?’ I will show those who are asking, ‘Look at those who joined this coalition. They will be the ones to continue (the reforms) once we are retired’,” Aquino said.

While these political parties may choose to stay together against the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), political observers say the 2016 presidential elections may change the dynamics as, for example, the NP might want to field its own candidate against that of LP.

The President said nine of 12 Team PNoy senatorial bets were able to secure the mandate from the people, which he noted was a product of hard work and unity.

“The sacrifices we asked from each one of them was no joke. And even if there were times when the campaign had been difficult and complex, we were always given a reason to thank the people and our fellowmen who served as our strength and inspiration and who made our every step easier,” Aquino said.

He thanked the Team PNoy candidates for taking care of the coalition and for having the same goal of strengthening the agenda of good governance.

“Despite the issues thrown left and right to weaken the relations, it seemed everyone’s link with each other even became stronger,” Aquino said.

He said he was initially apprehensive to call the administration slate Team PNoy as it might make him the target of black propaganda during the campaign.

The President said it was Drilon who suggested the name Team PNoy and was seconded by LP stalwarts Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Roxas.

 â€“ With Marvin Sy, Christina Mendez