Senate bloc denies plotting coup to prevent Villar censure

The Philippine Senate’s opposition bloc on Wednesday denied it was planning to unseat Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, a move seen to prevent Senator Manuel Villar Jr., a presidential candidate, from being censured. The chamber’s opposition members denied launching a ‘boycott’ and plotting a coup against Enrile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said in a phone interview from Geneva, Switzerland. On Tuesday, only 10 of the 23 senators attended a session that was supposed to discuss a report that implicates Villar in a C-5 road mess. The lack of quorum forced the Senate to suspend its session without tackling the report of the committee of the whole. [See: Senate fails to tackle Villar report due to lack of quorum] “Hindi ko alam ang reason ng kanilang pag-absent sa sesyon pero hindi kami nag-usap na magboykot, walang ganun, everybody will have to answer for himself or herself. Palagay ko meron din silang dahilan kung bakit hindi sumipot, di yun concerted action [I don’t know their reason for not attending the session but we never talked about it. There was no plan to boycott the session. What happened was not a concerted effort]," said Pimentel who is attending an InterParliamentary Union meet. If he was in the country, he would surely attend the session, he said, adding that the Senate leadership has the power to compel its members to attend the session. “May rules na maaring gamitin to compel the attendance of people, e sila naman nasa kapangyarihan, gamitin nila ang rules, pero basta tama lang [There are rules that can compel senators’ attendance. They are in power so they can use these rules]," Pimentel said. Pimentel also said was not aware of any move to oust Enrile. Some quarters could be floating the idea of a coup to make Enrile irate, the Senate opposition leader said. “Baka si Enrile ginagalit lang, para magmatigas. Sigurado may nagpapalala ng sitwasyon dyan [There may be some people trying to make Enrile angry and making the situation worse]," Pimentel said. For his part, Gilbert Remulla, Nacionalista Party spokesperson, said the supposed coup plot did not begin from their camp. “Alam namin hindi kami [That did not come from us]," he said in a text message to GMANews.TV. Pimentel also answered the Senate President’s statement that Villar should not be a coward and face the issue. “Ang problema ni Sen. Enrile ang nakikita niya sa buhay parang physical bravery o cowardice, meron pa namang ibang mga bagay tulad ng wasto at mali. There’s such a thing as right or wrong, hindi yung physical bravery na mas matapang ako sa iyo, mas marami akong armas, naku, panahon pa ng martial law yun [The problem with Enrile is he seeing things in terms of physical bravery and cowardice. There’s such a thing as right or wrong, not only physical bravery where a show of force is needed. It seems he still thinks in a martial law mindset.]," Pimentel said. He added that Villar and the minority did not participate in the investigation because it was only intended to indict him. The senators who were absent during Tuesday’s quorum due to “official business" were Ramon Revilla Jr., Francis Pangilinan, Pilar Juliana Cayetano, Loren Legarda, and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was not feeling well. Those who were absent without any notice were Senators Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Alan Peter Cayetano, Lito Lapid and Villar. Senator Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, informed Enrile through a letter that he would not be attending the sessions. - LBG/RJAB Jr./ GMANews.TV