Angara laughs off leadership shakedown

Sen. Edgardo Angara laughed off yesterday media speculations that Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. is on the way out as minority leader.

The speculations mounted that Pimentel would be booted out as minority leader next week for refusing to deliver a privilege speech against First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and for allegedly becoming quite close to the administration.

"We are satisfied with the performance of Senator Pimentel," Angara said as he denied rumors that he would replace Pimentel.

Opposition Senators Blas Ople and Tessie Aquino-Oreta also expressed surprise over the rumors of an impending leadership shakedown in the minority.

Ople and Oreta said they never knew Pimentel was supposed to deliver a privilege speech against the First Gentleman.

"I only know that Ping (Sen. Panfilo Lacson) was to deliver that privilege speech," Oreta said.

Ople stressed that the opposition senators did not choose Lacson to deliver that privilege speech.

"Ping chose himself!" he said.

Speculation on an impending shakeup in the minority also came after Pimentel was reportedly not invited to a caucus the other day.

Ople and Angara said they themselves were not present in that "informal meeting."

"There was no caucus, only an informal exchange of ideas," Oreta said.

Ople said that if ever there would be a change in minority leadership, it would not be because of Pimentel’s refusal to deliver a privilege speech against Mr. Arroyo.

Angara is slated to replace Pimentel as minority leader next year in accordance with a term-sharing agreement forged in July before the election for Senate president transpired.

A similar term-sharing agreement was also forged between Senate President Franklin Drilon and his former rival for the post, Sen. Renato Cayetano. – Efren Danao