Sa Pula, Sa Puti

I thought I've had enough of political comedy for the week.

Hindi pa pala.

Just when I thought the Dureza Prayer will make it to the top of my favorites this week, biglang umentra naman sa eksena si Leon Guerrero.

Here's Inquirer.net's hot issue preceeding the coup in the Senate which brought down Manny Villar and installed Juan Ponce Enrile to the Senate Presidency.

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Lapid confused by Senate coup
He’s neither here nor there

Perhaps he thought he was responding to the roll call?

Sen. Lito Lapid, a known ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, appears to be quite confused by the sudden change in leadership and the subsequent alliances in the Senate.

In the four days since the coup that saw Manuel Villar being replaced by Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president, Lapid had not only shifted sides but also managed to confuse his fellow senators.

At press time Thursday, both the majority and minority camps were claiming him as their own.

Lapid was not among the 12 senators who signed on Monday a resolution backing Enrile as Villar’s replacement. But the former action star surprised everyone, including the 12 senators who supported the coup, when he voted for Enrile on the floor.

Some reporters said they saw Lapid raising his hand in a thumbs-up sign when his name was called during the voting for Enrile.

On Tuesday, Lapid said on radio that he had not intended to vote for Enrile, but that he had not bothered anymore to correct the outcome.

He then declared that he wanted to join the minority with Villar.

Thursday, both Enrile and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Lapid was now with the majority.

“I thought Senator Lapid was going to join us, but I understand he changed his mind,” Pimentel, who is likely to be named minority leader, told reporters at the weekly Senate forum.

“Better check with him so there will be no confusion,” Pimentel said.

Enrile said Lapid voted for him when he was nominated Senate president. He said he had been told that Lapid wanted to join the majority, and that he had not convinced the latter to do so.

“When I talked to [Lapid], I said, ‘You’re welcome. Everybody is welcome to join the majority.’ If they want to join us, why not? Who am I to say no?” Enrile told reporters.

Asked whether Lapid would then retain the chairmanship of the committee on games, amusement and sports, Enrile replied in the affirmative with a chuckle:

“Yes, he wants to play games. I’ll give him the games and amusement [committee] … He wants to be amused.”

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Para tuloy kapag ganito na yung mga nakikita o nababasa ko, minsan, iniisip ko, ba't di na lang kaya i-abolish ang Senado?

Villar Out; Enrile In

On Monday, November 17, Senator Manny Villar formally tendered his resignation as Senate President of the Philippines.


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“The tenure of the Senate president, as everyone knows, depends on the number of members that supports him or her. I've been informed this afternoon that I no longer have the support of the majority members. I now, therefore tender my resignation.”

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Inquirer.net reports:

The plot to oust Villar, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said, had been “a work in progress since the C-5 controversy,” was said to have been hatched over the weekend and was finalized at noon Monday, with 13 senators signing a resolution to oust Villar.

The C-5 controversy refers to Lacson’s accusation that Villar had initiated the double entry in the national budget for the extension of the C-5 road in the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas.
Villar has been accused of benefiting from the C-5 extension project as this passed through property owned by his real estate firms.




Immediately after Villar's speech, Lacson moved to declare the top senate post vacant and nominated Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who garnered 14 votes to become the next Senate President. Senator Gregorio Honasan stood up and swore Enrile into his new office.


[I find it noteworthy to say that Enrile was one of Ferdinand Marcos' allies when Marcos declared the Martial in 1972. Thereafter, Enrile became one of the leaders of a military revolt in 1986 that led to the Edsa People Power Revolution and the ouster of Marcos. During the revolt, Enrile gathered much support from Honasan, then a young military officer.]


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“With sincere gratitude and in all humility, I accept the responsibility and trust that the majority of you, my peers, has entrusted and reposed upon me today.




Allow me this opportunity to ask you, my colleagues, to forgive my shortcomings.


I am an old man who has acquired some bad habits of sometimes being arrogant, rude, harsh with my words, insensitive and impatient.



Yet, you have so kindly overlooked these shortcomings, and generously chose me to be your leader.”

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The rumors behind Villar's ouster (and Enrile's rose to the top post) and other stories:

1. Bayad-utang?
JPE’s rise to senate presidency 'reward' for Transco 'sale'

2. Para sa 2010?
Estrada hand in coup seen


3. Parang artista lang pag sumagot. "We're just friends, you know."
Villar on ouster: It's purely politics

4. Sabagay, yung mga mas matatanda ang nakaka-appreciate sa cha-cha.
Enrile says he won't use post to amend Charter