Senate comes up short in joint panel to canvass votes for president, VP

The Senate is still three senators short of its members in the joint congressional panel that will canvass the votes for president and vice president. Only six senators have confirmed their membership to the panel, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said in an interview. These are Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Senators Rodolfo Biazon, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Pangilinan, and Zubiri. Zubiri said they still need to convince Senators Pia Cayetano, Ramon Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, Edgardo Angara, and Joker Arroyo. The problem came up after Senate ProTempore Jinggoy Estrada, Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and most recently Francis Escudero inhibited themselves from the canvassing. "Propriety and delicadeza dictate that I inhibit myself from any participation in the canvassing process so as not to cause undue delay or cast doubts in the proclamation of the winning candidates," Escudero said in a letter sent to Enrile. Escudero endorsed the candidacies of Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay. The chamber is unable to tap those who ran for president and vice president, among them were Senators Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Manuel Villar Jr., Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, Manuel Roxas II, and Loren Legarda. The chamber will be discussing its composition in the panel in a caucus this afternoon before the opening of the session. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV