Enrile to assume Senate minority leader post

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who resigned from his post as Senate president on Tuesday, is seen to take on a new role as minority leader once the 16th Congress convenes next month.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said that Enrile has manifested to him and some members of the chamber that he wanted to become a minority leader under a new Senate leadership.

Estrada, who was designated as acting Senate president, said it is unlikely that he and those allied with Enrile will be joining the majority. Even Senate Majority leader Vicente Sotto III said he is ready to be part of the minority, and not get any committee.

“I don’t think that will happen, because I have already spoken with Sen. Enrile and he signified his intention to become the minority floor leader,” Estrada said before the session resumed.

Enrile resigned irrevocably at the resumption of regular session of the 15th Congress after a lengthy speech on how he was accused of giving away Christmas bonuses last year and how he was subsequently made as a "whipping boy" on how the Senate audits its budget.

Estrada now believes that Sen. Franklin Drilon is the frontrunner to the top Senate post.

Estrada said the majority is now on the side of Drilon and the Nacionalista Party bloc headed by Sen. Manny Villar.

Meanwhile, Senator Pia Cayetano is aspiring to be Senate majority leader and replace Sotto. Cayetano’s brother, Senate minority Alan Cayetano, is reportedly hoping to become Senate president pro-tempore.

Sen. Loren Legarda immediately rejected insinuations that she is being considered as Senate president pro-tempore or majority leader. “Been there, done that. I am not interested."

With the two Cayetanos eyeing the top two and top three posts at the Senate, senators allied with the administration raised eyebrows for what would appear to be as “sibling” power tripping at the chamber.

“It is not proper.  Just one is okay. One should give in to the other,” the source told The Star. Another senator noted that there are even more senior senators who can be up to the job.

Estrada said the new minority bloc will likely be composed of Enrile, himself, Sotto, Senators Gregorio Honasan, Nancy Binay and JV Ejercito. He lamented that he cannot speak on behalf of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr, who is now reportedly joining Drilon's group.