Joker Arroyo reminds Estrada of cameo role as acting Senate President
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada is facing what could be his shortest role in his political career as acting Senate President in two lame-duck sessions in the 15th Congress.
Outgoing Sen. Joker Arroyo didn’t miss a beat in reminding Estrada, a movie actor before he turned politician, of what could certainly be just a cameo.
“Mr. President, are you happy?” Arroyo asked Estrada after the Senate, following manifestations of Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Franklin Drilon, installed Estrada as the acting head of the chamber upon the resignation of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Estrada will serve as acting Senate President until the chamber elects a new leader—something that is expected to happen on the first day of the 16th Congress on July 22.
“I could sense that while [Enrile] grieved, you couldn’t control your happiness. While the majority leader also grieved, of the top three in the Senate, it was only the Senate president pro tempore who is happy,” Arroyo said as colleagues laughed.
Apparently sensing that Arroyo was drawing laughter not only from the floor but even at the gallery at his expense, Estrada said that he was willing to have an election for a new Senate President right there and then.
Arroyo, however, was far from finished. He asked Estrada what his half-brother, Senator-elect San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito, would have to say.
Estrada and Ejercito are known to have had personal differences in the past.
“What will Senator-elect JV Ejercito say about that?” Arroyo said.
“Let’s get his reaction on July 22,” Estrada said with a sheepish smile.
“Do you think he will ever be Senate President?” Arroyo asked Estrada of his brother.
Drilon, the presumptive next Senate President, joined the fray.
“Did you talk to JV Ejercito? How did your conversation go?” Drilon asked Arroyo, who is ending a second Senate term.
“I said Jinggoy is already Senate President. [JV] said, ‘Eh ano [So what]?” Arroyo said to end his irreverent grilling of the acting Senate leader.
The exchange happened after the mood turned dramatic and suspenseful when Enrile irrevocably resigned following an emotional privilege speech, where he blasted his critics in the chamber.
The senators retreated to a caucus to discuss how to address the leadership vacuum.
Sen. Sergio Osmeña III told reporters before the caucus that Sotto, citing Senate rules, wanted Estrada as Senate President Pro Tempore to take over the presiding duties.
Osmeña, however, said there were other senators who wanted to elect a new Senate President with Drilon apparently being the choice.
Asked before the caucus if electing a Senate President was possible, Drilon told reporters that “anything was possible.”
During Enrile’s resignation speech, Drilon was teased by colleagues that his Senate presidency was coming sooner than expected.
The senators, however, returned from the caucus agreeing on Estrada taking over temporarily.
Both Estrada and Sotto, Enrile’s allies, expressed sadness over Enrile’s resignation.
“Of course, being an ally, being my mentor, he’s like a father to me, I was also hurt,” Estrada told reporters.
