Press Release
May 11, 2006

DRILON CAN BE REPLACED ONLY IF ANY ASPIRANT CAN GATHER 13 VOTES

Notwithstanding the term-sharing agreement between Senate President Franklin Drilon and Sen. Manuel Villar, the issue of who will lead the Senate will be decided on the basis of which group or aspirant has the numbers to win the fight.

This was pointed out today by Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) amid the attempt to ease out Drilon as Senate president by persuading him to give way to Villar in accordance with their 2004 agreement to share power.

He said if nobody can muster the minimum of 13 votes to wrest control of the Senate leadership, then the status quo may prevail.

To replace Drilon, 13 votes are needed. No party or group in the Senate has the votes to elect a new Senate president. Drilon has may be 5 senators; Villar, 4; opposition 7, and unidentified flying objects, 7. The Senate presidency is anybodys ballgame, Pimentel said.

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