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Category: Senate

Zubiri resigns

Published by Ellen on August 3, 2011

Says cheating allegation has taken toll on family, nation

Zubiri speech Honor and Integrity

First Senate case of resignation due to electoral fraud.Photo by Malaya.
By JP Lopez
Malaya

Amid allegations he benefited from the supposed cheating in the 2007 elections, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday announced his resignation, a move seen by colleagues and even his opponents as an act of statesmanship.

“Without admitting any fault and with my vehement denial of the alleged electoral fraud hurled against me, I am submitting my resignation as a duly elected senator of the Republic of the Philippines in the election for which I am falsely accused without mercy and compassion,” Zubiri said in an emotional privilege speech.

Aquilino “Koko “ Pimentel III I: I commend him for the rare act of resigning but na-disappoint lang ako na parang may denial pa siya na nagkaroon ng dayaan sa Maguindanao which was the reason why he got proclaimed in the first place. Hindi po baseless and unfounded ang charges of election fraud in Maguindanao. Proven na po iyon.”

“I am resigning, not because I am exhausted from the demands of my calling as a legislator. . I am resigning, not because I wish to evade the decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Handa kong tanggapin ang anumang hatol mula sa nasabing hukuman,” he said.

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Kiko vs Tito

Published by Ellen on August 2, 2011

Tito
I’m enjoying the Kiko-Tito exchanges.
Kiko

Following the coming out of Police Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago of his primary role in the switching of genuine 2004 election returns stored at the Batasan Pambansa with manufactured ERs, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan called on the Commission on Elections and the Department of Justice to ferret out the truth no matter who gets hurt.

Pangilinan, who earned the pejorative tag “Mr. Noted” for dismissing protestations of the Minority in the canvassing every time questionable returns would be canvassed with “Noted,” is on the defensive because many accuse him of being instrumental in allowing Arroyo to get away with her electoral cheating.

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Truth is catching up on Migs Zubiri

Published by Ellen on July 14, 2011

Never have I seen Juan Miguel Zubiri, long referred to as the senator from Maguindanao, looking so harassed than in his press briefing yesterday at the Senate to debunk the very damaging revelations of Zaldy Ampatuan, former governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao and Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol that they were both involved in the shaving of votes from senatorial candidates Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Benigno Aquino III, and Alan Peter Cayetano in favor of Zubiri in the 2007 elections.

The votes that Zubiri got in Maguindanao enabled him to edge out Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III from the number 12 slot.

That’s the reason he is in the Senate and Pimentel is left struggling it out at the Senate Electoral Tribunal which last year upheld the counter-protest of Zubiri based on what he claims were irregularities in Metro Manila which to many are nothing but dilatory tactics to wear out Pimentel and for him to complete the six-year term under a fake mandate.

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The morning after:Senate coup revisited

Published by Ellen on November 19, 2008

by Lito Banayo
Malaya

Speculations and spins always fly whenever something takes everyone by surprise. Thus did the Senate “coup” which replaced Manuel Villar as its president with 84-year old Juan Ponce Enrile come to most everyone.

One paper bannered an Erap hand in the coup, banking only on the supposed membership of Enrile in the latter’s party, and the perceived “closeness” of the two, which isn’t exactly true. They are friends, but they are not that close. Even when only the two of them survived the Cory juggernaut in the first elections under the 1987 Constitution that re-installed a two-chamber Congress, they were not that close. Estrada, who tries to be friendly with everybody, and forgives anyone and everyone at the drop of a tear, fake or feigned, knew the political value of the wise Ponce Enrile, so that even if the latter did not support his presidential run in 1998, he reached out. He needed the cooperation of the Senate, and so politically, he bedded even with other unlikely political “friends” as Miriam Defensor Santiago. That paper cited an “administration senator” as its source, but the guy, who can easily be identified by any political observer, was also just speculating.

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Villar ousted as Senate president; Enrile sworn in

Published by Ellen on November 17, 2008

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile was sworn in this afternoon as the new Senate president in a coup that caught Senate President Manuel Villar and his allies by surprise.

Enrile, whose oath of office was administered by Sen. Gregorio Honasan Jr. at 4 p.m. when the chamber opened its plenary session, was supported by administrator senators and several senators, including Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.

Following Villar’s ouster, Senators Francis Pangilinan and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. resigned their posts as majority and minority leaders.

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