Lacson reveals: Who really started move to oust LP senators from majority bloc?
Four senators initiated talks with colleagues that led to the ouster Liberal Party (LP) senators from the majority bloc.
In an interview Tuesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson said he along with three other colleagues started the idea of convening the senators to talk about the Senate majority.
“Kaming apat nag-start: Senators (Gringo) Honasan, (Tito) Sotto, (Loren) Legarda. Kami ang nakaka-observe na 'bakit ganito ang situation namin?' Yan ang story,” Lacson said.
Lacson, Honasan and Sotto are part of the so-called “macho bloc” in the Senate, which also included former Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile in the past Congress.
Lacson said the decision was not a “one-shot deal.”
“So 'di ito one-shot deal o na-decide overnight... based on the observations of the other members, including myself. How could we even hold a caucus? In fact we have not held a caucus as a super majority,” he said.
Lacson confirmed that the decision to oust LP senators was finalized during a meeting of majority bloc senators in the residence of Senator Manny Pacquiao Sunday night.
“I myself was the one who pushed. We already decided on this, we voted on this, it was unanimous. What’s the reason for postponing the action?” he said.
Pacquiao made the motion to have Senator Franklin Drilon replaced as Senate President Pro Tempore by former Minority Leader Ralph Recto on Monday.
Senate committee on agriculture chair Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan was replaced by Senator Cythia Villar, Senate committee on education chair Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, and Senate committee on health chair Risa Hontiveros by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito.
Drilon, Pangilinan, and Aquino are all members of the former ruling party, LP, while Hontiveros is a member of Akbayan Party, a close ally of LP.
Drilon was elected Minority Leader Tuesday, while Pangilinan will take over the chairmanship of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments.
Aquino still has the committee on science and Hontiveros has the committee on women. —JST, GMA News
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