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Two stories...war zone/villar to head powerful finance committee



Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
August 1, 2002



Senators back to the war zone

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Senators back to the war zone?

Resolution 391 did not heal old wounds as the Senate was once again shaken yesterday with the opposition questioning statements of some administration senators about the recent impasse in the chamber, and some administration senators questioning the legality of the June 3-6 session of the opposition.

And as expected, an exchange of acidic comments was aired before the senate session hall between two camps.

"The whole thing that we tried to avoid is now happening. The wounds have been reopened," opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara lamented.

An omen of an impending clash between the two groups came when opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson questioned the inclusion in the Senate order of business of a joint committee report about his alleged involvement in kidnap-for-ransom and drug trafficking activities without providing copies to members of the minority.

Administration Sen. Robert Barbers, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, agreed to the temporary withdrawal of the joint committee report questioned by Lacson until Monday when he would consult with the chairmen of two other committees.

He, however, indicated that he is ready to defend the committee report.

The report, submitted on June 3 by the Senate committees on public order and illegal drugs, national defense and security, and Blue Ribbon, was signed only by members of the majority.

It was on the same day that the opposition claimed that it had constituted a new majority and reorganized 25 committees, including the three that submitted the report, and sent the report back to the reorganized committees for further study.

This precipitated an impasse that ended after 57 days with the adoption of Senate Resolution 391 the other day. The resolution acknowledged the primacy and authority of the administration on all matters, including the joint committee report.

The joint committee report still has to be adopted in plenary before its recommendations could be implemented.

Lacson said that while he is ready to question the findings of the three committees, there is a need for the committees to follow established rules of procedure, especially the need for a report to be submitted to the minority.

After this issue on the committee report was temporarily resolved, passions did not ease a bit with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. questioning statements of Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda, Sen. Joker Arroyo lashing at Pimentel, and Angara criticizing Arroyo, all at the session hall.

After Lacson spoke, Pimentel stood up on a question of personal and collective privilege and criticized the statement of Drilon that the opposition tried to take advantage of the absence of Barbers last Monday to force a vote on the legality of the June 3-6 session of the minority.

Pimentel said that the relations between the two groups could be enhanced if "nobody would try to use a crystal ball" to read the minds of others. He said that had he been allowed to stand up Monday, he would have proposed solutions to break the impasse, and not to force a vote.

He described as "precipitate" the move of Drilon in suspending the session Monday despite his objections. He also took issue with the statement of Drilon that the session was already suspended before he (Pimentel) stood up to object.

Pimentel cited minutes of the session showing that he objected even before Drilon called for the suspension of session.

He called for an investigation of the sudden putting off of his microphone while he was talking on the floor last Monday questioning the suspension of session.

He also defended the decision of the opposition on the questioned session and the legality of the measures passed. He also suggested to Legarda how to implement the reconsideration of three bills passed that would be approved later in accordance with Senate Resolution 391.

Legarda defended the perception of Drilon and members of the majority that the opposition was intent on forcing a vote Monday on the legality of the June 3-6 session of the opposition. Had a vote been taken then, the opposition would have won 13-10 with the absence of Barbers and with Senators Blas Ople and Robert Jaworski expected to vote with the minority.

Legarda insisted that the minority really intended to call for a vote Monday night, and quoted Angara's affirmation to her. She said that the minority violated an earlier agreement that the legality of the questioned session would not be raised on the floor.

After Pimentel's speech, an angry Sen. Joker Arroyo chided the Senate leadership for "allowing the minority to hold the whole Senate hostage'' and urged it to assert the majority's rule.

Arroyo insisted that all the proceedings then were not valid and binding as Pimentel, who opened the session, was not authorized by the Senate Rules to do so, and the 12 opposition members could not reorganize the chamber and its standing committees.

He also questioned Pimentel's remarks against the administration and pointed out that after the senators signed Resolution 391 that finally broke the Senate impasse, "they are bound by the provisions found within the four corners of the document.''

Arroyo said that the "majority cannot be held hostage by the minority." Senate leadership appeared to be soft on the opposition by agreeing on the passage of some questioned pieces of legislation "even if the June 3 to 6 session was evidently illegal."

He stressed that his statements are his alone, and it is up to the members of the administration bloc whether to affirm them or not.

"I was made to understand that our squabbling would end when he signed Senate Resolution 391, but that is not to be," Arroyo added.

A piqued Angara spoke next, saying "some administration senators are only reopening wounds.''

"Everyone wants to do good for our country. No one should claim any moral superiority over anyone among us,'' he said.

Senator Renato Cayetano took the floor saying the June 3-6 session was illegal. He cited that the Avelino vs. Cuenco Supreme Court decision was based on the 1935 Constitution. He cited the provision in the 1935 Constitution that "a majority ... shall constitute a quorum to do business." While the 1987 Constitution provides that "Elections of officers shall be by a majority vote of all its respective members." The Senate Rules follows after the 1987 Constitutional provision.

He was later engaged in a lengthy debate with opposition Sen. Sergio Osmeña on what truly constituted a majority and a quorum.

But Pimentel and Arroyo themselves moved to soothe frayed nerves.

Taking a less confrontational stance, Pimentel again rose to say that "while the administration senators now have the numbers, it would be dangerous if they do not consider the opinion of the minority.''

"That is a very dangerous proposition,'' he said. "Even if the majority has the right to define the agenda of the Senate, the minority has the right to have its views considered.''

He added that the majority could not "ride roughshod'' over the minority.

A calmer Arroyo responded "to disabuse the mind of my soulmate.''

"On the question that the majority would not like to consider the views of the minority, that is not true,'' he said. "We would always consider the view of the minority because that is the right thing to do.''

Angara also stood up to lament that Arroyo seemed to question the resolution.

He said that the resolution was so worded as to avoid discussion of the contentious issue on the legality of the June 3-6 session so that the chamber could move on and start working anew.

He said that members of the opposition are all earnest in seeing harmony and peace prevail in the chamber.

"Members of the administration bloc should do their part also. It is not a one-way street," Angara said.

A Senate observer says that the ambiguous Senate rules allow for adventuristic opportunistic interpretations causing situations as what has happened in June 3 to happen.

"Both sides do have logically valid reasons but both sides cannot be right. Such ambiguity can only lead to paralysis, hot tempers, and an unstable Senate - and an unstable country," he said.

 

STORY NO. 2
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
Aug. 1, 2002



Villar in finance?
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Magsaysay apprehensive to get foreign relations committee

It pays to be in the Majority bloc.

The race among administration senators to get the juicy committee was revealed after Senate President Pro tempore Manuel Villar said he is considering to chair the powerful committee on Finance formerly chaired by Senator John Henry Osmeña.

It was learned that aside from committee on Finance, administration senators have started jockeying for the chairmanships of the committees on foreign relations, and government corporations and public enterprises.

But Villar, who chairs the committee on agriculture, said this was not yet a sure thing.

"What is important is that the majority would give me that mandate (to chair the finance committee),'' he said. "If given that, I would be willing to give up the post of Senate president pro tempore.''

If named chair of the finance committee, Villar will handle the proposed 800.7-billion-peso national budget for 2003, which Malacañang is set to submit to Congress.

According to Sen. Renato Cayetano, the foreign relations committee will most likely be given to Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., who already chairs the committee on national defense and security.

But Magsaysay expressed apprehension as he is more interested to maintain his defense committee chairmanship.

"masyadong maraming load mahirap baka tayo matambakan ng trabaho." Magsaysay told People's TONIGHT.

The committee on government corporations and public enterprises is still up for grabs.

Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda said the chairmanships of these committees would be tackled in a joint caucus on Monday.

"We will also come up with a common legislative agenda during that caucus,'' she said.

Legarda also said that while she wanted to chair the committee on foreign relations, she could not do so.

"I would have to step down as majority leader, and I cannot leave the Senate president (Franklin Drilon),'' she said.///camille p. balagtas

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