SENATOR Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday said that he is ready to step as senate president when the 16th Congress convened in July 2013 since new legislator will be elected with new ideas to choose their leader.
“I am ready to step, and I have accepted the fact medyo matanda na ako, magiging 89 na ako kung mananatili ako hanggang July 2013, magkakaroon ng panibagong senate president,” Enrile said in an interview.
Enrile said that under the customary procedures in Congress, there should be a reorganization in all positions in the Senate including committee chairmanships since new legislators will have to choose their leaders.
“I am not sure if I will still be the senate president, but it is required to have reorganization in the Senate. If they choose me, thank you, but I am not looking forward to that, hahayaan na lamang natin sila kung sino ang magiging guide ng Senado beyond 15th Congress,” he said.
Based on his personal assessment, re-electionist senators will have an edge among other candidates that includes Senators Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero and Alan Peter Cayetano, who are only waiting for ranking the next election, and Senators Gregorio Honasan, Antonio Trillanes IV and Aquilino Pimentel II.
Enrile said that re-electionist senators may or may not support him as the senate president comes 16th Congress and not yet sure if their candidates in United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) will make it into the magic 12 because fluidity on the other half of the 12 senators to be elected.
“Based on the latest survey, UNA ang mananalo, pero hindi masisiguro and based on the 90 days exposure of the candidates, mag-iiba pa rin ang komposisyon na papasok na 12, pero lamang ang reelectionist,” Enrile said.
Escudero, Legarda, Honasan and Trillanes voted Enrile in the majority. But later on, Trillanes went to the minority after wrangling with him in controversial back channelling for China in the maritime disputes. Pimentel, however, came late but supported Enrile in the majority.
“Mag-iiba ang komposisyon ng Senado, magkakaroon ng bagong miyembro, di natin alam, may reelectionist, Koko, Alan, Gringo, Trillanes, Loren, Chiz, at anim magiging bago,” he said.
“Second half of the 12 eh maraming magagalaw dyan, so fluid pa ngayon, sina Loren, Chiz and Alan rankig na lamang sigurado na sila,” he added.