In line with Midterm State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and the opening of the 16th Congress, Sentator Franklin Drilon known to be the ally of President Aquino elected as the Senate President after receiving 17 votes out of the 23 senators present today. Meanwhile, Drilon’s predecessor Senator Juan Ponce Enrile receives 6 votes that secured the Minority Leader position in favor of him. Being a member of the Liberal Party (LP), senators under the group Team PNoy during the recent senatorial election supported him including Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV, Alan Peter Cayetano, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, and Cynthia Villar.
Other members of the senate who completed the 17 votes in favor for Drilon are Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel III, Pia Cayetano, Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, Lito Lapid, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Sergio Osmeña III, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., Ralph Recto, and Enrile. Meanwhile, Senators Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Vicente Sotto III, Gregorio Honasan II and Drilon voted for Enrile.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago who is experiencing chronic fatigue fails to attend the opening of the session today which she needs to stay home for the next six months. Meanwhile, Recto was elected as the Senate President Pro Tempore. This is the third time that Drilon was elected as the Senate President during his first term in 2000 where he made concessions with Blas Ople in sharing the seat of Senate President under the administration of former President and not Manila Mayor Joseph Ejerctito “Erap” Estrada until the impeachment trial. The second Senate Presidency happened in 2001-2006 during the administration of the former President and now the Congresswoman of the 2nd District of Pampanga which they were known as close friends until Drilon together with former Senator Rodolfo Biazon called for the resignation of the president that time due to anomalies connected to her.
With Sentator Franklin Drilon as Senate President and the possibility to have Congressman Feliciano ‘Sonny’ Belmonte Jr. to be the House Speaker of the House of the Representative it will surely favor to the remaining years of the President Aquino.
