Angara’s LDP goes all-out for Pimentel

The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in the Senate led by Sen. Edgardo Angara threw its full support yesterday behind Se-nate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and claimed that Pimentel has already sewn up 14 votes to retain his post in the 12th Congress.

However, power politics in the Senate became more muddled with the Malacañang-backed People Power Coalition (PPC) mending its fences to forge a virtual showdown with the "Progressive Alliance" supporting Pimentel.

Angara said all eight LDP-Puwersa ng Masa members in the Senate are joining the Progressive Alliance spearheaded by Sen. John Osmeña in support of Pimentel.

Osmeña decided to organize a third force after getting impatient over the failure of the PPC and the LDP to muster the needed 13 votes to wrest control of the Senate.

"The working majority, initiated and led by Laban-PnM, intends to support the retention of Senator Pimentel as Senate President," Angara said. "Amid the grave problems of the nation, the opposition will be consensual rather than confrontational."

The LDP members in the Senate are Blas Ople, Rodolfo Biazon, Vicente Sotto III, Tessie Aquino-Oreta, Loi Ejercito-Estrada, Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan and Angara.

Angara revealed that he discussed the plans of his party with Pimentel last week. The details of the agreement will be announced tomorrow.

With Pimentel and Osmeña, the Progressive Alliance already has 10 identified members. The LDP refused to identify the four others they claim to have joined their cause, although there were rumors identifying them as Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Robert Jaworski, Ramon Revilla and Francis Pangilinan, who is close to Sotto.

Angara said his group will also vote for Ople as Senate President Pro Tempore, Sotto as majority leader, and Osmeña as chairman of the finance committee.

Ople said he will nominate Angara as chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

A stiff fight is expected tomorrow, however, as the multi-party PPC has solved its problems on term-sharing between Senators Franklin Drilon and Renato Cayetano, the post of Senate President Pro Tempore, and the chairmanship of the powerful finance committee to boost their hopes of getting the top Senate post tomorrow.

"We have finally come to terms on the thorny issues. We have the numbers and we will come out solid on Monday," Drilon said.

All members of the PPC ratified the term-sharing agreement between Drilon and Cayetano. Drilon is expected to be elected first, although parties refused to divulge details of the agreement.

Sen. Loren Legarda has also agreed to give way to Sen. Manuel Villar, resolving the controversy on the nominee for Senate President Pro Tempore. Earlier, Villar agreed not to vie for the finance committee if he would get the No. 2 Senate post, which however, was already committed by Drilon to Legarda.

Legarda was earlier adamant against yielding to Villar but later relented.

"Senator Legarda will be the majority leader, unless Sen. Renato Cayetano prefers to get the post," Drilon said.

The PPC also agreed that Sen. John Osmeña will get the chairmanship of the finance committee.

Drilon had earlier committed the committee chairmanship to John O, while Cayetano pushed for Sergio. The House bloc led by Sen. Joker Arroyo had wanted Villar to get the committee but yielded provided Villar becomes the Senate President Pro Tempore.

Cayetano expressed confidence that the PPC would wrest control of the Senate in tomorrow’s session.

"The real test of strength will be found in the results of the voting," he said.