Cayetano ready to accept backing of peers for Senate president

MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said on Wednesday he was not casting a moist eye on the Senate presidency despite pronouncements made by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago that he could likely be one of two shoo-ins for the post.

Sen. Franklin Drilon, a senior member of the Liberal Party (LP), is the other.

“The question is (am I) actively pursuing it? I’m not actively pursuing it,” Cayetano said about plans for the Senate Presidency.

“But if the majority says ‘I want Alan,’ anybody would be a hypocrite to say he doesn’t want it,” he added in a huddle with reporters.

Santiago said Cayetano would be the most likely candidate to be fielded by the Nacionalista Party that had the biggest number of senators in the 16th Congress.

Drilon, meanwhile, was the campaign manager of the administration-backed Team PNoy senatorial slate and could count on members of the Liberal Party and its allies.

Santiago said the Senate presidency would be Drilon’s “reward” as the group won nine of the 12 seats in the last election. Drilon has remained non-committal when asked on his interest in the post now held by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.

Cayetano said he would insist that senators first distribute committee assignments “based on expertise” before deciding on who should be the Senate president.

He foresees objections to the proposal, especially from senators who have been laying claim to specific committees despite changes in the Senate leadership or the entry of newer and more qualified colleagues.

But Cayetano maintained that only after the Senate’s exercise of “statesmanship” through the judicious distribution the committee assignments could its members begin selecting who should lead them for the next three years.

Traditionally, senators first determine the members of the majority and minority bloc before dividing the spoils.

Cayetano said the practice reeked of traditional politics and patronage since committee assignments were distributed depending on alliances chosen by senators, not on their capabilities.

Observers agreed with Cayetano, noting there have been instances when newbie senators craving the more demanding committees were accommodated simply because the Senate leadership would not want to antagonize its allies.

Cayetano said senators must reach a consensus to determine who were the “members of the coalition,” referring to a majority bloc that would dominate the chamber.

He explained that apart from the 16 incoming and incumbent “pro-administration” senators, other colleagues perceived out of the loop could be included in this coalition if they agreed to support the legislative agenda of Malacañang.

“When we say consensus, who are the members of the coalition? Can we sit down? The Nacionalistas prefer we chart our future not through palakasan (influence), paramihan (sheer number) or who is the most senior when we designate chairmanships but rather who is the best and the brightest,” Cayetano said.

“If the NP invokes its numbers and or the LP (Liberal Party) asserts Malacañang’s backing, I don’t think it would be productive. What if the UNA (United Nationalist Alliance) wants to join,” he asked.

Three UNA candidates won in the last senatorial election—Nancy Binay, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito and Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

Cayetano said a situation must exist where no political party “negotiates as a group” but rather, its members would chair committees based on expertise.

“People should see a different kind of Senate this time. The one with the expertise should head the committee that requires it,” he explained.

The senator warned that assertions of strength in numbers would be the quickest way to destroy the coalition.

“Doing so would be inconsistent with our campaign promise.  The coalition must maintain that we pursue Malacañang’s legislative agenda,” Cayetano said.

President Aquino’s supporters have long insisted that the fresh batch of senators should stick to his “good governance” agenda.