Villar has edge in race for Senate presidency, Bongbong claims

Nacionalista Party's Senator Manuel Villar Jr. has the edge over Liberal Party's Senator Francis Pangilinan in the race for the Senate presidency, neophyte Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday. At the weekly Senate breakfast forum, Marcos said Villar has an advantage over Pangilinan because the defeated presidential bet has had the support of several senators for a long time. "Senator Villar starts with the largest number. It's easier for him to get the magic numbers, he has a shorter way to go for the presidency," he told reporters. Marcos, who won a Senate seat under the banner of Villar's NP, said he has already signed a resolution stating his support for Villar in the contest. He said he signed the document 10 days after the elections. At the time, he said, he was already the sixth or seventh senator to sign the resolution. He could not, however, name the senators who have supposedly expressed support for Villar. "Alam ko hindi pa 13 (What I know is that he didn't have 13 signatures yet, that's what I'm sure of)," he said. Majority vote A senator needs 13 votes to secure the Senate presidency. Under the 1987 Constitution, majority of the Senate is pegged at 13 because the number of senators is fixed at 24. The LP has only four members in the incoming chamber – Pangilinan, Senators Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto, and Teofisto Guingona III. But Senator Sergio Osmeña III and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile have both expressed their intention to support Pangilinan’s bid for the Senate presidency. On the other hand, Villar’s bloc has Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pilar Juliana Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Joker Arroyo, and Marcos. Pia Cayetano ran under NP while Santiago was a guest candidate. Senator Edgardo Angara's bloc has the most number of allies, among them Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senators Loren Legarda, Ramon Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid and their recent addition Gregorio Honasan II and incoming Senator Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III. Angara earlier said Legarda will support Villar if the latter would seek the Senate presidency. As with the other members of the chamber, Senator Panfilo Lacson went into hiding shortly after a Manila court issued in February this year a warrant for his arrest stemming from his alleged involvement in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case, but the Senate has not yet declared his post as vacant. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV remains detained and has no voting powers, unless a court allows him to attend the sessions. Marcos said, however, that there is always a chance the race would yield unexpected results. "I'm a rookie. I would not like to make any predictions this early on. Minds can change, positions can change," he said. "The senators are not committing yet, at least publicly... we have to wait until the actual vote," he added. Bongbong staying with NP But he said there is no way he would switch alliances even if Guingona III approached him about the matter during their last session at the House of Representatives. "He asked if he could meet with the group (but) I ran with the NP, I won with the NP, i will stay with that group," Marcos said. Marcos also said that if the senators would not be able to choose between Villar and Pangilinan, Enrile might become a probable "compromise" candidate. Villar resigned as Senate President in November 2008 amid talks his colleagues were about to oust him for his alleged role in the controversial C-5 Road extension project. Enrile, who also got reelected in the last polls, took over the Senate leadership from Villar. — LBG/RSJ GMANews.TV