Drilon or Pangilinan? EDITORIAL 06/08/2010

Drilon or Pangilinan?

EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 06/08/2010 Both Liberal Party (LP) senators, Senators Franklin Drilon and Francis Pangilinan, better known as “Mr. Noted,” are vying for the Senate presidency, with their public announcement of their intention to run for the Senate’s top post, with the opening of the 15th Senate. The two senators also said they had agreed that the LP will field only one candidate. The question then is: Would either Drilon or Pangilinan become the next Senate President, given the fact that the LP senators, by themselves, have only three or four senators in the 15th Congress? Either one could, if they can get the majority of senators to go their way, which is why there is always only a majority and minority bloc, instead of a party bloc, as a majority in the Senate. Drilon or Pangilinan could get the presidency, if it can get the current minority bloc — save for the retiring senators and the new ones, to vote for the LP bet. It will have to be recalled that, when the 15th Congress opens, the Senate will again be short of 24 members, with Sen. Noynoy Aquino winning the presidential race. And then too, there is detained military rebel-turned Sen. Sonny Trillanes, who cannot vote, having lost his case before the high court. That leaves only 22 voting senators. To get the Senate presidency, 13 votes are needed. Even if say, the LP manages to tap at least 11 senators, if one or two abstain from electing the LP bet, that would still be short of 13 votes, which vote is required by the Constitution. For the LP, this appears to be impossible at this time, as the Nacionalista Party (NP), the LPs campaign foe, is not likely to support either Drilon or Pangilinan. It is more likely that, in the Senate at least, where each senator is a republic unto himself, the NP will be fielding its own bet, not necessarily from the NP camp — unless Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar goes for the top slot — and with the NP coalescing with other smaller parties to form a majority bloc.... MORE     Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100608com1.html

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