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January 4, 2002, The Philippine Star, Senate Coup Looms, by Efren Danao,

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January 4, 2002, The Philippine Star, Senate Coup Looms, by Efren Danao,

Manila, (STAR) - A Senate coup is in the offing.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said yesterday that a reorganization in the chamber’s leadership is looming with the opposition set to become the new majority in the chamber.

He said the conversion of two "disenchanted" members of the majority coalition to the opposition is now in the works.

"The moment the two join us, there will be a new Senate leadership," he said.

He, however, refused to identify the two senators being wooed by his group. He said identifying them might make the majority take some steps to avert the switching of political allegiance in the Senate.

When asked who between him and Sen. Edgardo Angara would be the opposition’s nominee for Senate president, Pimentel said it is their understanding that he would be next in line.

"When I leave the post of Senate minority leader, that means I will be taking over as Senate president," he said.

Pimentel was the Senate president from December 2000 when the Senate held the impeachment trial of then President Joseph Estrada until July 2001 when the Senate elected Franklin Drilon to replace him.

Meanwhile, Angara said that he wants Pimentel to continue serving as the Senate minority leader. Under an agreement forged last July, Angara was supposed to assume the minority post beginning Jan. 1, but Angara said this would no longer be followed.

"Senator Pimentel has served the cause of the Senate minority with dedication and excellence. There is no reason why he should step down as minority leader," Angara said.

He added that several other minority senators also want Pimentel to remain as their leader.

"We will send him a letter that will express full and unequivocal support to his leadership," Angara said.

He said that Pimentel and the Senate minority have remained a "bedrock of discretion, judiciousness and moderation throughout a trying period of partisan politics.

"We will remain in that chosen course and Nene Pimentel will remain our leader," Angara said.

Pimentel expressed his thanks for the "kind words" of Angara. He said that he had really wanted to let go the Senate minority post because that involved staying up to the last minute of every session day.

"I’ll still do what I have to do as minority leader," Pimentel said.

Only last Tuesday, Senators Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Francis Pangilinan predicted that the new year will see a stronger majority in the Senate, which would augur well for the legislative agenda of President Arroyo.

Earlier, opposition Sen. Blas Ople said the minority would take advantage of every opportunity to induce some disgruntled members of the majority to switch camps.

Ople said there is a "mild possibility" that the opposition would be able to attract two members of the majority coalition to effect a leadership overhaul in the chamber.

Magsaysay, on the other hand, is confident that instead of losing two members, the majority might even win over two members.

At the same time, he admitted that the majority should work doubly hard to strengthen its political fence, with the active participation of President Arroyo if necessary. He pointed out that the President is the titular head of the majority coalition.

He warned that unless the majority is strengthened, the division in the Senate will become more pronounced.

"Political sniping cannot be avoided because of the precarious 13-11 edge of the majority," Magsaysay said.

A change of heart by only two members of the majority would give the opposition the leadership of the Senate.

Magsaysay is confident, however, that the majority has the upper hand because it is allied with the administration.

Magsaysay and Pangilinan, however, said that the majority still needs to wage a more determined effort to recruit at least two from the minority this coming year.

"Any instability in the Senate leadership and politicking will stop if our majority is more commanding," Pangilinan said.

A key member of the majority, Sen. John Osmena, had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the leadership of Senate President Franklin Drilon but it remains to be seen whether that would be enough to make him bolt to the other camp.

Osmeña quit in disgust his chairmanship of the committee on accounts over some issues in Senate funds. Earlier, he threatened to quit the majority should the administration keep an acting Customs collector in Cebu.

Magsaysay and Pangilinan, however, expressed doubts whether Osmena would desert the majority.

"I doubt if he will leave us all by himself. Maybe, if there is another one who would leave with him, he might, but that is very remote," Pangilinan contended.

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