Drilon: I’m not involved in plot to oust Enrile

Senator Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Franklin Drilon said that he has no intention to replace Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile despite renewed coup rumors against the present leadership.

“Once and for all, I deny that I am involved in any effort to change Senator Enrile,” Drilon told reporters on Thursday.

“No such thing. I know where this humor is coming from. It is not from me and I disavow any intention to replace the Senate President,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano also dismissed the rumor, saying he himself was not “actively asking that he be changed.”

“There’s no plot,” Cayetano said in a separate interview.

But while there was no plot now at present to unseat Enrile, the opposition leader said there was no guarantee also that there will be no change in Senate leadership.

“So question, is there a plot? Not right now. Can we guarantee that there will be no leadership change? No one can guarantee that because that is a prerogative of the majority of the members,” he said.

While he disagreed with Enrile on many legislative matters and policies, Cayetano said he maintained that the Senate leadership has been “stable.”

“Meaning, right now I am not actively asking that he be changed. But when the time comes, it depends,” he said.