WHY I AM OUT OF THE LOOP

By Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago

I have decided to join the new majority, because it still partly consists of the administration bloc to which I belong. I have been absent and silent so far, because I am sick of diarrhea, which could be due to intestinal flu or my old amoebiasis.

I was clueless about the Senate coup. In my entire Senate career, the plotters never consulted me beforehand. Either I don’t count, or I am considered unapproachable.

Thus, when Sen. Enrile called me several times on the Sunday before the coup, I had no clue that he wished me to sign the coup resolution. I had intestinal flu, was in bed, and had requested my husband to field all my phone calls. To say that I was avoiding him is a misimpression. I do not avoid; I confront.

Immediately after the coup, Sen. Mar Roxas very kindly and gallantly invited me to join the majority. I had reservations, because I was ill and just could not deal with the unexpected development. But he was indefatigable on my behalf, and I thank him profusely.

In a jocular way, I was in a dilemma. At the start of this Congress, the Senate administration bloc allied itself with a sector of the opposition, to become part of the majority. At that time, administration senators were accused of sleeping with the enemy. Now, the administration bloc has again allied itself, but this time with a different sector of the opposition, to form the new majority. Hence, it might seem to critics that the administration bloc to which I belong has become a serial adulterer.

I caught a bad cold in New York , and brought it with me to Manila . Instead of resting, I immediately plunged into my Senate duties. Hence, at the Dela Paz hearing shown on TV, I had to stop presiding and leave, because of exhaustion from my deteriorating cold. I even cancelled at the last minute my scheduled trip to Peru with President Arroyo.

On the weekend prior to the coup, in addition to my cold, I succumbed to diarrhea. On my doctor’s advice, I took a course of antibiotics. But then I developed dizziness. And paradoxically, today when I had planned to report to the Senate, I find that my diarrhea has returned.

It is not true that I “demanded” certain committees. I had read that Sen. Enrile was calling for senators to express their committee preferences, and I complied with a brief letter. It is not true that I am feigning illness. My family physicians are Dr. Esperanza Cabral and her daughter Dr. Sandy Cabral Prodigalidad.

It is unfair and malicious to impute these and any other kind of negative actuations to me. I assure my critics that if I were not bedridden, I would educate them physically.

Press Release

28 June 2007

MIRIAM: VILLAR AS SENATE CHIEF WIL USE “ENLIGHTENED SKEPTICISM” WITH PALACE

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, confirming that she was one of the first senators to sign the endorsement resolution, said that Sen. Manny Villar will be reelected as Senate President, and that he will observe an attitude of “enlightened scepticism” in cooperating with Malacanang on administration bills.

“I support Manny because I believe in continuity of leadership. He has already stamped his leadership style on the Senate, and it would be more efficient to keep him in the post to promote everybody’s comfort level,” Santiago said.

Santiago said she signed the pro-Villar resolution during her birthday last June 15 at a restaurant ballroom, attended by some 80 guests led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the First Gentleman.

“Throughout the dinner, Manny engaged the President in a cordial dialogue about administration-certified measures I gathered that he intends to remain open-minded, meaning that he will not be a knee-jerk oppositionist,” Santiago said.

Santiago pointed out that Villar is not necessarily an opposition senator because he was merely a guest candidate of the opposition, and he ran as the official candidate of the Nacionalista Party, which he leads.

“His sure reelection as Senate President will give him a competitive edge over his many dreamy rivals for the 2010 presidency, because he will have the advantage of continuous media exposure and of speaking engagements that will broaden his base and at the same time enable him to strengthen his party machinery,” she said.

Santiago said that apart from Villar, the likely 2010 presidential candidates will be Senators Roxas, Lacson, Gordon, Legarda, and Madrigal.

Manny Trumps all presidentiables with his capture of the Senate presidency. The others will have to settle for running as his vice presidential candidate,” she said.

The senator reportedly told Villar she is interested in keeping her present committee chairmanships, but would prefer to exchange the energy committee with another committee devoted to a topic more “lawyer friendly.”

I expect that like me, other administration senators within the coalition will also keep their committee chairmanships. In other words, the status quo will be observed more or less,” she said.

Santiago, careful to stress that she was speculating, said that Sen. Enrile will likely be the finance chair, while Sen. Pangilinan will likely be blue ribbon chair.

“Generally, a candidate wins as Senate President if he is successfully able to distribute the committee chairmanships among his allies, on the basis of seniority and loyalty. The practice is that major committee chairmanships are given to the strongest supporters of the winner,” she said.

Santiago said that once the majority have picked their Senate President, and the minority their Minority Leader, the two officials will then discuss the remaining committee chairmanships available for the minority.

“So you see, this in not an administration-opposition thing. Instead, it is a majority-minority thing. That’s the true dynamics in the asisgnement of committee chairmanships,” she said.

Santiago as chair of both foreign relations and energy committees, as well as their respective oversight committees. She is also vice-chair of the finance committee and a member of the Commission on Appointments.

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Press Release

21 June 2007

MIRIAM: SENATE SECRET BALLOT IMPRACTICAL

Responding to media queries, administration Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said that the reported plan of the Senate opposition senators to use secret balloting for choosing the next Senate President is "too utopian and impractical."

The opposition has announced that they will vote as a bloc for one of them to be Senate President, after he or she is chosen through secret balloting.

"There are three reasons why the plan will not work. One, the opposition is not monolithic. Two, there is no remedy if someone does not follow the gentleman’s agreement. Three, the purported agreement requires the consent of the main contenders, who are Senators Villar and Pimentel," Santiago said.

Santiago said that although the opposition can count with nine members, it still needs to convince two independent senators to join the bloc, namely, Senators Pangilinan and Honasan.

"In an ideal world, the opposition should remain united. But this is an illusion, because Senate history shows that after the elections, every senator believes himself to be a free agent,” Santiago said.

Santiago also added that there is no formal written agreement for the opposition bloc to remain solid.

"Unity in the opposition is only a hope, not a reality. There is no written document, and even if there were, it would not be legally binding. You can’t go to court to enforce a so-called gentleman’s agreement, specially among politicians," she said.

Santiago said that the two most serious contenders for Senate presidency are Senators Villar and Pimentel, neither of whom has declared that he will voluntarily follow the purported agreement.

"It would be anomalous to bind two senators who are not parties to the agreement. Senators Villar and Pimentel will have to speak for themselves," she added.

Santiago, after dismissing the reported secret balloting procedure of the opposition, predicted that the next Senate President will be supported by a coalition of both administration and opposition senators, following "an established pattern" in the Senate.

"Tying down a senator’s right to cast his vote is like attempting to domesticate a wild bull. It can’t be done, and it might backfire in the sense that the bull might turn around and gore his tormentors," she said.

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Breaking News

24 July 2006

MIRIAM ON SENATE REORG

The Senate is now dominated by a mutant majority. The core group of 13 who elected Villar as senate president is composed of both administration and opposition senators. Thus, the new Senate majority is an aberration at birth. If it were a car, it would be a hybrid. If it were a horse, it would be a piebald. Wonders never cease in politics. What we are seeing is the art of the political deal.

With Sen. Drilon stepping down, the Cory Aquino opposition group has lost its chief challenger to President Arroyo. As senate president, Drilon was third in succession.

As an ordinary senator, he is no longer even qualified to run for reelection in 2007. It might be the end of the presidential road for him and the Aquino group.

Drilon’s loss of the Senate presidency weakens the Drilon wing of the LP, and strengthens his rival. If Manila Mayor Lito Atienza runs for senator, the Atienza wing of the LP can only get stronger, and might even devour the Drilon wing.

With Sen. Villar as new Senate President, the Senate will have a rainbow coalition in the majority. Hence, the Senate majority will be toeing a precariously independent line. It is a motley mix of pro-Gloria and anti-Gloria senators.

The pro-Gloria senators in the majority are: Villar, Flavier, Arroyo, Recto, Lapid, Enrile, Revilla, and myself.

The anti-Gloria senators in the majority are: Pangilinan, Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Luisa Estrada, and Lim.

There are anti-Gloria senators who are outside Villar’s core group, but reportedly decided to support him after he had already sewn up the 13 votes required to win. They are hoping to retain or get major committee chairs. They are Sen. Magsaysay, Gordon, and Biazon.

At present, Villar trumps Sen. Roxas as the strongest potential presidential candidate for 2010. Villar will easily win reelection next year, and will be expanding the political base of the NP which he heads.

Further, Villar stands a good chance of being endorsed in 2010 by President Arroyo. Roxas hopes to lead the anti-Arroyo coalition. If it will be Villar versus Roxas, it will be new money versus old money; self-made entrepreneur versus the scion of the privileged elite. The 2010 elections will be a battle of the big bucks, and a candidate who does not have at least P5 billion need not apply.

In his first month in office, Villar will busy himself playing musical chairs with committee chairmanships. Pursuant to tradition, his core group of 13 senators will have first pick. The process calls for delicate diplomacy, but Manny’s middle name is “Patience.”

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