Frowning Drilon: No loyalty check

What loyalty check?

A frowning Senate President Franklin Drilon dismissed yesterday reports he was conducting a loyalty check among his colleagues to ensure their support for his leadership.

"That’s only a report. It is not true there is a loyalty check. I have no more comment on that. As far as I know, the majority and the minority blocs are supporting my leadership," Drilon stressed, even as he refused to identify who among the 22 senators are supporting him.

Drilon has apparently been making the rounds, even visiting administration Sen. Ramon Revilla at his Cavite residence Thursday. The visit further fueled speculations that Drilon is conducting a loyalty check to ensure his leadership.

The former movie actor confirmed Drilon visited him over lunch but denied it had something to do with the reported coup at the Senate.

Revilla said Drilon visited him to check on his physical condition since he is scheduled to fly to the United States on Monday for his regular medical checkup.

The 77-year old former actor had earlier confirmed a colleague from the opposition was trying to recruit him to join the plot to oust Drilon.

While Drilon denied conducting any loyalty checks, he also turned lukewarm on questions over the possibility of a revamp in the Senate committee chairmanships.

Drilon also refused to elaborate on the ongoing development on the chairmanships of the Senate committees on energy and education, which was chaired by the late Sen. Renato Cayetano who passed away last June 24.

"There is no follow up yet on committee chairmanship. The meeting of the majority and minority blocs may be held after the opening of the 3rd regular session of the Congress on July 28," he said.

Members of the administration party Lakas-CMD and the ruling People Power Coalition (PPC) in the Senate are reportedly eyeing opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara to replace Drilon.

Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, is being eyed to replace Drilon because of the Senate president’s strong position against the ratification of House Concurrent Resolution 16 that seeks to convene Congress into a constituent assembly to introduce amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

For his part, Angara admitted he is interested to become Senate president again.

Angara, president of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), was Senate president during the Ramos administration, when the LDP was in coalition with Lakas.

"I will be interested if my peers will choose me and decided to pick me. I will be an effective leader. I was very effective as Senate president in my time," he said.

In reaction to reports of a Senate coup, Angara said it could be those belonging to the majority bloc who wanted Drilon out of the way to advance the call for Charter change by constituent assembly.

"It is just a propaganda of Drilon’s group. Don’t fall for it. But if the Lakas and PPC are indeed choosing me to replace Drilon, it is not my fault anymore," he said.

"But on our end, we are not floating anything like that, specially the reasoning that they are using (is)... they want to oust Drilon... because of his strong opposition to the constituent assembly," Angara said.

He said the reasoning being used by members of the majority bloc is "far-fetched" because the 14 members of his committee have until July 14 to pick their choice on the three options in amending the Constitution — by constituent assembly, a constitutional convention (Con-con) or a referendum.

Angara said majority of the senators, including Drilon, wanted the Con-con mode.

Although he and administration Sen. Robert Barbers filed a resolution favoring the constituent assembly, Angara said "it does not mean that we are pushing it."

"It will be up to the members of the committee. I’m not counting on those senators who will support me. But I’m willing to accept the post (of Senate presidency)," Angara said.

For his part, administration Sen. Francis Pangilinan pointed out those who are pushing to replace Drilon will have to secure a total of 13 votes.

"If they have the numbers then the Senate presidency is theirs. The bottomline is to have 13 votes," he said.

Aside from Pangilinan, the members of the Wednesday Group are Senators Joker Arroyo, Manuel Villar, Ralph Recto and Noli de Castro. The group reportedly wanted to replace Drilon with Villar.

Pangilinan stressed he would continue to support Drilon’s leadership. He said no one has yet approached him to join the move to oust Drilon.

Arroyo, for his part, denied the reports and said their group "does not want to create problems" in the Senate.

On the other hand, Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Flavier and Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III had said the majority and minority blocs want a status quo and do not see a need to change the Senate leadership.