Angara: GMA raiding Senate opposition

Hands off, Madam President.

Sen. Edgardo Angara slammed President Arroyo yesterday for what he said were her attempts to raid the ranks of the Senate opposition, saying Malacañang’s continued meddling was complicating the situation in the already troubled chamber.

"The President is always saying that the problem is an internal matter of the Senate. She must practice what she preaches because her continuous attempts to raid our ranks do not help end the impasse," Angara said.

With 12 senators in its camp, the opposition has declared itself the new majority. The administration has only 11 senators since Sen. Ramon Revilla is still in the US recovering from spinal surgery.

Angara claimed the Pre-sident has been calling up opposition senators frequently in an attempt to woo them into switching sides.

He identified opposition re-electionist Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Robert Jaworski as the prime targets of the administration’s "dirty tactics."

"They have been offered guaranteed slots in the 2004 senatorial elections. The two have been told not to worry about campaign expenses because all of these would be taken care of by the administration," Angara said.

He claimed the President even told Biazon that the administration would not pit any candidate against his son, Muntinlupa Rep. Raffy Biazon, in the 2004 polls.

"Walanghiyaan na ito (All sense of decency has been set aside)," a fuming Angara said.

He also pointed that Revilla had admitted receiving a call from the President asking him to remain with the administration camp.

Revilla’s continued absence and Sen. John Osmeña’s shifting of allegiance enabled the opposition to gain the upper hand in the Senate.

After Osmeña tilted the majority on June 3, the opposition surprised their colleagues by revamping the chairmanship of various committees, effectively paralyzing the chamber.

Administration senators maintain that the session and all proceedings were invalid. The opposition contended that there was a quorum when all of their members held a session on June 3.

The crisis saw the two groups holding separate sessions, with one deciding to adjourn sine die until July 22, and the other, proceeding with the session.

Angara said the President’s continued meddling has been the biggest stumbling block in the Senate’s attempt to resolve the impasse.

Still, he assured the nation that senators are trying hard to work out a solution that would end the Senate predicament in time for the opening of Congress on July 22.

Angara said there have been several meetings and consultations between senators from the administration and opposition, with talks turning out "to be very positive."

"We are currently working on a solution to break the impasse and get the Senate back to working together as the mainstream of development for the country," he said.

Angara stressed that all lines of communication between both sides are always open.

"A solution must be found. So far, most of the signs indicate a very positive outcome for the future of the chamber," he said.

Sen. Loren Legarda said the first meetings between members of both camps had been fruitful as the warring senators agreed to a ceasefire.

"We should continue to talk since a ceasefire is not the solution to the problem," the administration senator said.

She revealed that the administration bloc would be meeting on Thursday for further discussions. Two solutions are being considered: arbitration by a third party and the forging of a working coalition.

Legarda said all administration senators would be attending the second regular session of Congress on July 22.

"We will be there no matter what happens. We are prepared to be the minority if they (opposition senators) have the numbers. In the previous Congress, there were only five of us in the minority, I would not mind being in the minority again," she said.

She contended, however, that the opposition would only be recognized as the new majority if it can muster 13 members.

"They only have a plurality with 12 members against our 11," she argued.

Sen. Robert Barbers said 12 does not constitute the majority in a 24-member chamber. He added that 12 senators cannot reorganize standing committees and elect Senate officers.

"I was informed that their original plan was to elect a new Senate president, but they could not get 13 votes," Barbers said.

He claimed that the opposition could not wait for a 13th member because the Blue Ribbon, the defense, and the public order and illegal drugs committees had been set to release a joint report on the alleged involvement of Sen. Panfilo Lacson in illegal drugs, kidnapping and dollar salting.

"The opposition went ahead with the reorganization to forestall the release of the joint report," Barbers said.

The opposition replaced the chairmen of all three panels, and called the joint report a mere scrap of paper.