The Sara Duterte Bloc in the Senate is in the throes of a Last Stand. After recruiting Lady Senators Pia Cayetano and Loren Legarda on Monday, May 11, the Sara Duterte/Alan Peter Cayetano Bloc seized the Senate Presidency for a mere twenty - three days. Their “Maliligayang na mga Araw!” was cut short by the defection of former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday, June 3.
They continued to claim the Senate Presidency and the Chairmanship (Pia Cayetano) of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Chairmanship of its Subcommittee (Rodante Marcoleta) for an additional fourteen days. The lopsided tug of war between Gatchalian and Cayetano Blocs was finally cut short by the defection of Senator Joel Villanueva on the morning of Wednesday, June 17.
Meanwhile, former “Kapit Tuko” HoR Speaker Cawatano continues to sourgrape. The pretrial conference of VP SD’s Impeachment Trial has ended after five sessions (June 18 to 25), and the Trial Proper is set to start on Monday, July 6. Rumors and speculation have indicated that Chiz will be elected as Senate Impeachment Trial Presiding Officer.
Our opinion is that the incumbent Senate President Win Gatchalian should perform the job so as not to allow more excuses to delay the Trial. If it can’t be helped, then the best Senator to preside over the Trial would be Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Just as controversy surrounded the creation of a quorum of twelve by the defection of a single Senator in the name of Chiz, a legal debate has arisen on whether sixteen or fifteen are required to convict Sara at the end of the Trial. Either way, the Gatchalian Bloc would need to recruit more votes from the fast-depleting pro-Sara Bloc, in order to add to their thirteen.
Let us predict the most probable defectors by eliminating first the least probable among the Sara eleven to defect. Numbers one and two are Bato and Jinggoy. They are both not worth recruiting. They don’t have any votes to exercise.
Imee is next since she has burned all bridges to the Marcos y Romualdez clan as well as with her fellow Senators who are allied in varying degrees with the PBBM Administration.
Marcoleta has made such a fool of himself that nobody would want to spend even the least effort in talking to him. Bong Go has been relatively quiet and better behaved. However, he is too close to PRRD. Robinhood is as loyal as a dog.
Alan Peter is for himself and even without a good reason, he may change sides. Pia can easily change sides since Alan is finished in terms of any plans of becoming Senate President again.
Mark and Camille are hostages by virtue of their family’s problems. The only difference is that Mark may be criminally liable while Camille probably is not. Loren is just waiting.
Two or Three more votes are not that difficult to secure! Timewise, the most under pressure to decide quickly are Mark and Loren.
The fifteen or sixteen votes will not be needed until the Trial is almost over. Meanwhile let us hope and pray that the presentation of the evidence will help Loren, Camille, Mark, Pia and/or Alan Peter take the jump.
Remember that when on Tuesday night, January 16, 2001 (It started on December 7, 2020), the Presiding Officer of the Estrada Impeachment Court, Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., shouted out, “The Nays Have It!”, the prosecutors walked out, Loren cried, Tessie Aquino Oreta danced, an assembly of the Couples for Christ in Christ the King Parish Green Meadows went to the nearby EDSA Shrine and texted their fellow Filipinos to come.
They came until Saturday noon, January 20, when VPGMA took her oath of office as Acting President. On Friday, January 19, the AFP and PNP leadership had withdrawn their support for their Commander in Chief.
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