MANILA, Philippines – Senator Cynthia Villar on Monday refused to sign a resolution expressing support for the continued leadership of Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Villar said signing in the senators’ manifesto could put in jeopardy her fellow members in the Nacionalista Party, who are reportedly seeking committee chairmanships in the 18th Congress.
During Monday’s session, Senator Manny Pacquiao asked his fellow senators to sign the resolution but Villar confronted him and PDP-Laban president Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel for dragging her into their rift over the Senate top post.
“Bakit ako pipirma diyan? Kung ipahamak n’yo ang aking kapartido? Ako nakapirma dyan. Hihintayin ko na maayos si Pia at si Imee. Di ba tama yun?” Villar told Pacquiao and Pimentel.
“Bakit ako pipirma dyan nang di naaayos ang kapartido ko?” she added.
Villar was apparently referring to Senators-elect Pia Cayetano and Imee Marcos who also belonged to the Nacionalista Party.
Villar later clarified that she refused to sign the resolution because she wanted things to be settled first.
Once all issues had been discussed with her party-mates, Villar said she would also sign the resolution.
“Kaya nga sinasabi ko sa kanila ayusin nila yung partido nila, there must be something wrong there, tapos ako madadamay. In fairness to those people, ayusin nila because there are incoming senators,” she told reporters in a chance interview.
The manifesto was drafted by Senator Panfilo Lacson expressing support for Sotto amid reports that moves were afoot to replace the latter as Senate President in the next Congress.
Villar was reportedly being eyed as a possible replacement of Sotto but she earlier said she is not interested in becoming Senate President herself.
Senate Minority leader Franklin Drilon also questioned Pacquiao’s “awkward” move.
“We haven’t heard any motion to declare the position on Senate President vacant and therefore we find this manifestation awkward,” Drilon said.
At least 14 senators have signed the resolution: Senators Gringo Honasan, Lacson, Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Sherwin Gatchalian, Francis Escudero, Pacquiao, Pimentel, Nancy Binay, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, Richard Gordon and Ralph Recto.
However, three of them will be leaving the upper chamber when the 17th Congress adjourns. These are Legarda, who was elected as Antique Congresswoman; Escudero, who will seat as Sorsogon Governor in June, and Honasan, who is finishing his last-term.
Sotto will need majority of the 24 senators to retain the top Senate post. (with details from Nel Maribojoc)
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