Villar resigns-It's election time

[godwhacker]

---

Villar resigns as Senate President

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:10:00 11/17/2008


MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 4) Senate President Manuel Villar has tendered his resignation.

At the start of the session, Villar said he was vacating his post after learning that he no longer had the support of majority of the chamber.

He said he would be replaced by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Radio dzMM said 14 senators voted in favor of Enrile while five abstained.

“The tenure of the SP as everyone knows depends on the number of members that supports him or her” Villar said.

"I've been informed this afternoon that I no longer have the support of the majority members. I now, therefore tender my resignation," he said.

“I congratulate the new Senate President, honorable senator Juan Ponce Enrile,” he said.

"You, Mr. Senate President have my support," he said.

The session was suspended briefly after Villar’s speech.

After Villar stepped down, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano resigned as chairman of the blue ribbon committee to pave the way for a possible reorganization of the committees, according radio dzMM.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has also resigned as minority floor leader.

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada presided over the session.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson immediately took the floor and nominated Enrile as the new Senate President.

Lacson's motion was seconded by Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan.

Except for Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, all senators were present at the session hall.

In an interview with reporters, Lacson said the C-5 road controversy, which implicated Villar triggered the movement in the upper chamber.

He said the ouster move against Villar was a "work in progress" since then.

"How did it happen? It was actually work in progress for so many weeks ever since the double entry," Lacson told reporters.

“You know if there is perception that the Senate leadership is damaged because of the C-5 controversy, most of the members, the majority at least of the members of the Senate, will be thinking that the whole Senate could be affected,” he said.

Lacson said they only reached the number needed to oust Villar only this Monday noon.

[mata_hari]

i don't think this move would affect his plans on running for the 2010 presidential elections.

yeah, i heard this news last night, his resignation was followed after a senate coup daw, so, he just declared his resignation na lang

his leadership has been questioned after issues against him specially his supposed influence on the C5 road extension, mura daw personal na kaayo ang giatiman ni villar instead of catering the concerns of the masses.

in my opinion, the palace has something to do about this, with Villar being so forceful on letting Bolante face the senate hearing and risk exposing the 181 members of the House of Representatives, siyempre with that risk, ngita jud sila paagi para ma stop.

pero ambot, whether he'll be the senate president or not, i don't see any real positive outcome from this, along with the false hope on the ZTE broadband scandal, Hello Garci, the ' euro generals', this is going nowhere, mabusy ra pud ng uban kay election napud ra ba.

[ingkiang]

ang ilaha ra jud ilahang gehunahuna...wla jud sila ng hunahuna sa ilang geserbisyohan nga mga katawhan...paeta aning mga taohana oi....

[gcc4426]

haha. nangandam na bai. kang catering the concern of the masses apil nas publicity nya. pero personal gud na iyang rason nganong ni.resign cya.

[mata_hari]

^^ basin dili niya matake ang pressure... mura man sad jud gipaforce resign siya sa iyang mga co-senators

i like what ping replied last night after he was ask about the issue, he said " Ayaw kung magsinungaling kaya huwag mo nalang akong tanungin"

there really is something going on!

[cottonmouth]

Kudos Mr. Villar! He's one of the few who deserves to be called senator, most of them are a laughing matter.

[samsungster]

good he resigned so that he can focus on his candidacy for president on 2010!!

[godwhacker]

in my opinion, the palace has something to do about this, with Villar being so forceful on letting Bolante face the senate hearing and risk exposing the 181 members of the House of Representatives, siyempre with that risk, ngita jud sila paagi para ma stop.

I highly doubt about the palace's influence on his ouster as senate president. First of all you have to determine who are the guys responsible for his ouster. And amazingly, it was spearheaded by the opposition senators themselves -iya ra sad mga panyero sa opposisyon. Do you think the palace can command these opposition senators to fire Villar? Of course absolutely not. In fact gamahay man gani cya nga si Chez and the younger Estrada also abandoned him. But as what he said,"that's understandable".

[alviperz]

hahaah.. concentrate na si Manny Villar for presidency..hahaha

[godwhacker]

Kudos Mr. Villar! He's one of the few who deserves to be called senator, most of them are a laughing matter.

For me, all of them are laughing matter. Mao nga Bayani Fernando gihapon ko.