Supporters abandon Pangilinan for EnrileBy MARIO B. CASAYURAN - Manila BulletinJuly 23, 2010
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/268336/supporters-abandon-pangilinan-enrile

Indicators show that Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is likely to retain his post as Senate President when Congress opens its doors for the 15h Congress on Monday.

Enrile, in a briefing for Senate reporters, revealed that supporters of Sen. Francis Pangilinan, one of the contenders for the Senate presidency, met him last Tuesday to throw their support behind hisbid for the Senate presidency if he is interested because Pangilinan has difficulty in getting 13 votes to snatch the top Senate post, which will be voted upon on July 26.

The so-called seven-member independent bloc of Sen. Edgardo J. Angara has yet to make an official announcement of its decision whom to support, but an insider was quoted in the early afternoon that they had a deadlock. There were late indications that this bloc is now sympathetic to Enrile.

The virtual throwing of the towel for the bid of Pangilinan (Liberal Party) by his own supporters appeared to tilt the race in favor of the reluctant 86-year-old legislator who told reporters that a Senate President's job is tiring and time-consuming.

He said these same supporters were optimistic that they could muster the 13 votes for him to retain the post.

"If they want me to handle the Senate presidency, (if that is so) so be it," he said. "I think so," Enrile replied to a query whether he could muster the 13 votes to get the plum Senate position "but for me to actively go around (and seek the votes), no way."

Reports have it that a group emerging to support Enrile said that some votes for Enrile might be snatched from the Nacionalista Party (NP) camp of Sen. Manuel Villar, who ran and lost in the May 10 presidential race.

The race for the Senate presidency between Villar and Pangilnan had stalled as not one of them could get the required 13 votes. The LP senators in the upper chamberse are Pangilinan, Franklin M. Drilon, Ralph Recto, and Teofisto Guingona III. The LP allies are independent Senators Sergio Osmena III and Francis Escudero.

Enrile refused to name the supporters who went to his room at the Makati Medical Center in Makati City where he met his cardiologist. He said that he has not talked to any senator identified with Villar, but "I heard that some in the Villar camp might work with a group that would emerge to support me."

He also said he has not talked to any member of the Angara group on the Senate presidency issue, except to say that he met with Angara and Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, both former Senate Presidents, weeks before Pangilinan declared his intention to run for the Senate presidency.

Earlier, a Villar ally, Sen. Miriam Defensor- Santiago, expressed confidence that Villar has virtually wrapped up the Senate presidency.

The LP hierarchy chose Pangilinan as its official bet for the Senate presidency instead of Drilon, LP chairman. Like Angara, Drilon was a former Senate President.

Angara was quoted as saying last Wednesday that he would personally support Enrile, but he would still have to sit down with members of his bloc earlier described as a"swing vote" in the race for the Senate presidency.

The Angara bloc consists of Senators Angara, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Loren Legarda, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Manuel Lapid, Gregorio Honasan, and Vicente Sotto III.

Senators Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, Sotto, and Honasan had stated that they would support Enrile should he decide to seek another term as the Senate chief.