By Angie M. Rosales
The Daily Tribune
The Daily Tribune
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile should see it coming, his possible ouster from his current post in the upper chamber, if some of the measures being pushed by Malacañang will not be passed under his leadership.
Amid coup talks in the upper chamber which continue to be denied by Malacañang, insofar as its supposed involvement is concerned, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the Executive could likely make a bold move to ensure passage of needed measures.
“We do not know how or what President Aquino is thinking right now. But if the Senate president would refuse to lend support to the President, even if the Chief Executive holds only a minority bloc as what is the situation now, with the Liberal Party (LP) members numbering to only four or five, the tendency really is to lean toward the wishes of the sitting President,” she said.
Santiago, in an interview over dzBB radio, was asked if Enrile’s strong stance against some of the highly-controversial measures, particularly the Reproductive Health (RH) and sin tax bills, could cost him his position as upper chamber leader, especially if these will not be approved in the plenary.
“If the President happens to be supportive of some of the proposed legislations and these measures are facing a lot of obstacles because of the active participation of the Senate president, it cannot be helped but for the President to entertain such thoughts,” she said, referring to the possibility of instigating leadership change in one of the two houses of Congress to ensure support to the administration.
“That’s a perfectly natural conclusion that the President might draw. So that will happen. I think they’re just waiting for something. Wait for it,” Santiago said, further predicting that Enrile’s stronghold on his post will be put to a test if these two bills would not be able to see their passage under the Aquino administration.
“Definitely his time horizon will grow shorter if the two bills are not passed,” she said.
Santiago was quick to point out that she has not been receipt of any “call” soliciting support to whoever may be being tapped as replacement to Enrile or have any inside information as to whatever plans that might be being plotted against the Senate chief, whether in the past or in the future.
“I told you I’m a complete pariah when it come to reorganization. They know that I don’t care, I don’t want to get involved in intrigues,” she added.
Santiago said it can only be expected of Malacañang to wash hands whenever there are coup talks going around and express continued support to Enrile.
“Assuming, for the sake of argument, that the Senate president is really as popular as the press releases say. But in any event, there is no question that President Aquino is much more popular than he is. So if he is countering President Aquino, his popularity will diminish. It’s not the other way around. He’s not more popular than President Aquino to the extent that if he goes against President Aquino, the President’s popularity will plummet. That is not the case. That’s why he is also thinking about it,” she said.
As for Enrile’s oft-repeated line that he’s ready to step down anytime, Santaigo said her colleague says that all the time because has no choice.
“All Senate presidents hold their position at the discretion of fellow senators and of the President who is sitting in power at the time. So they have no security of tenure. That’s why there is a need to court your fellow senator, the President and public opinion,” she stressed.
In reality, Santiago said no one would dare go against the President and meet the Chief Executive head-on while sitting as a leader in Congress.
“No one will do that except for a person like me I must add,” she said.
But Enrile has earlier maintained that the Senate is not a rubber stamp of any body.
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