The numbers game FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 07/23/2010

The numbers game

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 07/23/2010 At this point, it was fairly clear that neither the Liberal Party (LP) bet for the Senate presidency, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, nor Sen. Manuel Villar, the Nacionalista Party (NP) bet for the same post, succeeded in getting the required 13 votes, which brought about a stalemate, and a strong opening for a compromise candidate for the top Senate post in the person of incumbent Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile. But with Enrile emerging as a compromise candidate, inevitably, he reduces the number of senators who were earlier for Pangilinan, as well as a reduction in the number of senators aligned with the bloc of Sen. Edgardo Angara. Right off, Pangilinan loses Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, which would bring Pangilinan’s number to just nine — if he can still hold on to the nine that he says he has. In reality, the Pangilinan bloc consists of only six, as the duo of Sotto and Honasan were never going to go for Pangilinan..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100723com2.html

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