Veteran politician elected to head Philippine Senate
Updated
There is a new president in the Philippines' Senate. Veteran Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the key figures who helped oust the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, has taken over as leader of the upper house, after his predecessor resigned on Monday to head off a no-confidence vote. The new leader is an 84-year old veteran politician, widely seen as a close ally of President Gloria Arroyo.
Presenter: Nasya Bahfen
Speakers: Professor Prospero De Vera, University of the Philippines' National College of Public Administration
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BAHFEN: The change in the leadership of the Senate comes as the upper house investigates corruption claims. These include accusations that President Arroyo and other government officials used state funds to finance the 2004 election campaign. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was elected Senate president by 14 out of 23 lawmakers, in the Philippines upper house. Senator Enrile is the head of an opposition party, but is considered a supporter of the Arroyo government. Prospero De Vera is a professor of public policy at the University of the Philippines. He says it wasn't just President Arroyo's allies who ousted Senator Enrile's predecessor, Senator Manuel Villar.
DE VERA: So it's really a consortium of interests that ousted him meaning that there is not one individual that is responsible for it but several blocs in the Senate were able to find...a common ground and common interests to bring him down or to replace him as Senate president.
BAHFEN: Parties allied to President Arroyo already control the 238 member Congress or lower house. Because Senator Enrile has been described as an "ally" of the president, some opposition groups say his appointment gives Mrs Arroyo almost complete control of parliament. But Professor de Vera disagrees. He says Senator Enrile's appointment won't necessarily compromise the independence of the Philppines upper house.
DE VERA: It's a little more complicated than that because he has been independent in some instances, he has been a politician for the past two decades in the Senate, he has taken a leadership role in the Senate over or about five different presidents. So he can be at times independent minded.
BAHFEN: Senator Enrile has seen many Philippine presidents. As a politician since 1966, he's worked during the governments of Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and now Gloria Arroyo. The University of the Philippines' Professor De Vera says the problem is that Senator Enrile is closely identified with the Arroyo government.
DE VERA: So there will of course be a perception that the takeover in the Senate was influenced by the president, that Senator Emrile would toe the line as far as the interests of the current administration is concerned. Now whether that will happen will be shown by his succeeding actions on several key issues that are facing the Senate today.
BAHFEN: In a way, the sudden change in the Senate's leadership is a victory for Mrs Arroyo, who is scheduled to complete her presidential term in 2010 - the year in which the previous Senate president, Manuel Villar planned to run for the country's top job. Professor De Vera believes Mrs Arroyo's remaining time in office will be made smoother because of the ousting of a political opponent.
DE VERA: There will be no serious impeachment attempt anymore because I think the general public are already looking forward to the elections of 2010, and are not really very supportive of another impeachment attempt.
