24 Senate fiscalizers

Comebacking Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson was my guest in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Wednesday at Cafe Adriatico in Remedios Circle at Malate. According to Lacson, this was his first press conference since he won his comeback bid at the Senate during the last May 9 elections.

The first time Senator Lacson attended my Kapihan sa Manila Bay was last year, while he was still being bruited about as a probable candidate for the May 9, 2016 presidential elections. But when his rating at mock polls and surveys did not reach two-digit numbers, Lacson opted to run instead to the more sure shot for him as Senator.

It turned out a wise decision for him. He placed fourth in the 12-man Senate race behind re-electionist Senate president Franklin Drilon, ex-TESDA chief Joel Villanueva, and re-electionist Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, in that order.

In his return to the Senate and being an “independent” Senator, Lacson played a key role in bringing together a new coalition called the “super majority.” The new coalition being formed for the 17th Congress was started at the House of Representatives by incoming Speaker, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.

Alvarez leads the newly elected allies at the 17th Congress of freshly installed President Rodrigo Duterte. The incoming Speaker succeeded to poach and raided other political groups to join the PDP-Laban as the new administration party in power. They came largely from the erstwhile Liberal Party (LP) members who once supported the just ended administration of former President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III.

So as soon as Duterte “metamorphosed” into the presidency – as he earlier promised – there was a rebirth of political butterflies who all flew to his PDP-Laban.

But the seven LP Senators led by Drilon and former Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. stayed on with the Aquino party whose presidential bet, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II lost to Duterte. Fortunately for LP, Mar’s runningmate former Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo won as vice president.

Losing vice presidential candidate, ex-Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. though is still contesting Robredo’s win over him before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. Pending this PET protest, President Duterte had already sworn the Vice President into his Cabinet as Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

Meanwhile, Drilon along with fellow LP Senators and the Senators from other political parties like the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has joined the “super majority” coalition at the Senate.   

For the incoming 17th Congress, Lacson said 17 Senators have purportedly signed and committed to the election of PDP-Laban chieftain Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to become the new Senate president. As of this date, Lacson calls Pimentel as the presumptive Senate president since the election of new Senate leadership will take place yet on July 25 when both chambers of the 17th Congress officially convene.

Almost all Senators are already on board the “super majority” except for the Nacionalista Party (NP) Senators composed of former Senate majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Cynthia Villar. After he run but lost as the vice presidential running-mate of former Davao City Mayor Duterte, Cayetano shifted his bid to be elected instead as Senate president.

But President Duterte – who by the way run and won as the standard bearer of the PDP-Laban – already made public his stand he will not interfere in the Senate presidency contest between his two allies, Cayetano and Pimentel.

Given this clear signal from President Duterte, Lacson believed it should prod Cayetano to give way to Pimentel. He cited Pimentel has gathered already more than the majority votes – 12 plus one, or 13 out of the 24-man Senate – required number to install the new Senate president. 

To date, however, there is no indication yet from Cayetano whether or not he has abandoned already his plan to contest from Pimentel the Senate presidency, Lacson noted. By tradition, if there are two Senators vying to become Senate chief, the losing Senator becomes the new Senate minority leader.

A few days before they officially convene sessions, Lacson disclosed, their presumptive Senate president called for a caucus of the “super majority” Senators. This is to finalize, he said, the leadership structure at the Senate and chairmanships of the various committees. This is to ensure smooth transition of the Senate order of business from the 16th Congress, he pointed out.

 But, if I may add, the caucus will quietly solve with finality the Senate leadership issues behind closed doors. 

This is to obviously forestall the spectacle of any wrangling among Senators at the floor on the maiden session at the Upper Chamber.

As a member of the “super majority,” Lacson clarified he remains an “independent” Senator, or without any political party affiliation. Other “independents” are Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero who run but lost in the May 9 elections for president and vice president, respectively. Another comebacking Senator, Richard Gordon also won as “independent” but who has not joined yet the new coalition at the Senate. “I’m still a lone ranger,” Gordon quipped. Gordon’s favorite joke is he belongs to NP, or No Party.

But Senators are keeping close to their chests whether he or she will join the “super majority.” Nobody is showing the supposed Resolution if indeed signed already by 17 Senators. It is admittedly still a guessing game even among the Senators themselves.

Escudero was quoted as saying he would like to become the new Senate minority leader. But reportedly, incumbent Senators Loren Legarda (NPC) and Nancy Binay (UNA) and neophyte Senators Sherwin Gatchalian (NPC) and ex-Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (LP), and comebacking Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (LP) have signed the Resolution for Pimentel. 

Lacson described the “super majority” as Senators who will be supportive of President Duterte’s legislative agenda if it conforms to their individual stand on policy concern or issues. But Lacson reiterated the 24-man Senate – known as 24 “Republics” – will remain as fiscalizers each of the Executive Branch on policies and issues that will be contrary to their stand or views.