Senator Cynthia Villar. SCREENGRAB from INQUIRER.net FILE VIDEO
Senator Cynthia Villar has thrown her support behind Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who is gunning for Senate president in the 17th Congress, which will open on July 25.
“Si Alan,” Villar said when asked during a press conference on Tuesday if she has already decided who to support as the next Senate president.
A candidate for the post should get the vote of 13 senators or the majority of the 24-member chamber to unseat incumbent Senate President Franklin Drilon, vice chairman of the Liberal Party.
Villar and Cayetano both belong to Nacionalista Party (NP) headed by Cynthia’s husband, former Senator Manny Villar.
READ: Cayetano admits eyeing Senate presidency
She said the other NP member in the chamber, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, has indicated that he might join the minority bloc if Cayetano becomes the next Senate leader.
“Parang magma-minority, I’m not sure,” the lady senator said of Trillanes.
Asked if Trillanes had asked permission from NP, she said: “Parang sinabi n’ya, magma-minority s’ya (He said he might join the minority).”
Senator Villar said she was the first to sign a resolution being circulated calling for Cayetano’s election to the post. Senator-elect Manny Pacquiao also signed the resolution.
Cayetano earlier claimed that around 15 senators have given their commitments to support his bid.
READ: Cayetano says 15 senators backing his presidency in Senate
Villar said she was backing Cayetano’s bid not only because they are partymates but because there was an “indirect” information that Cayetano is President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s preferred candidate for Senate president.
“Tinanong ko e kung sino ang gusto… indirectly may tinanong ako (I asked who was preferred… I asked indirectly),” she said.
READ: Cayetano as Senate head gets Duterte nod
Senator Villar expressed confidence that Cayetano would be elected Senate president.
She also hopes to keep the chairmanship of the Senate committees on agriculture and government corporations and public enterprises in the new Congress.
“’Di ba tradition ‘yan; ‘pag sa’yo, hindi naman nila kinukuha? Ako naman is with the majority, bakit naman nila ako kukunan ng komite?”
(Isn’t it tradition that when it’s yours, they won’t take it away? With the majority, why would they take away my committee?)
“’Yung agri (committee) maraming may gusto, pero sa akin na ‘yun (Many want the agri committee, but it’s mine),” Senator Villar added. JE/rga