LACSON: OUST-JPE MOVE PURE HOGWASH

Pure hogwash. This was how Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Saturday described alleged moves to oust Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile from the Senate presidency.

Lacson said it would be absurd for President Benigno Aquino III to pressure his former colleagues to convict impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

"The oust-JPE move is pure hogwash. I can categorically state that there is absolutely no move from anyone, much less from Malacañang, to oust Senate President Enrile. It is absurd to even imagine President Aquino putting pressure on the senators in order to secure a conviction," he said.

Besides, he said Aquino, who came from the ranks of the Senate, knows the mentality of the senators.

Lacson noted even former President Gloria Arroyo, "with all her diabolical posturing during the height of her power," failed to contain the majority of senators under Enrile's leadership.

He said the only possible power grab at this point is likely to come from the administration party, but he has yet to hear from its members.

"I as an ally am a natural magnet for recruitment. But I have yet to hear an overture from them," he said.

On the other hand, he said the claims that senators can be arm-twisted into convicting Corona is unfair because majority of senators "are not for sale."

"It is unfair to every senator to even speculate on the matter of recruitment in relation to the impeachment. A great majority of us in the Upper Chamber are not for sale. That I can say with authority," he said.