Enrile laughs off rumors of coup d’ etat in Senate

By Macon Ramos-Araneta | Posted on September 12, 2012

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile on Tuesday laughed off a reported brewing coup d’etat in the Senate to remove him as Senate president due to his strong stance against the controversial Reproductive Health bill.
That bill aims to guarantee universal access to methods of contraception, fertility control, sexual education and maternal care.
“The possibility that I will always be replaced as Senate President is there everyday,” Enrile said but added he hadn’t heard of any such coup d’etat. Still, it would not be problem if he was removed.
“It’s okay and thank you,” he said.
“It’s okay for me due to my huge obligations in the Senate.” said Enrile, a ranking official of the United Nationalist Alliance, a coalition of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino of former President Joseph Estrada and the PDP-Laban of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Senator Franklin Drilon, a Liberal Party stalwart, said he had no knowledge of an impending coup in the Senate, while Senator Manny Villar, president of the Nacionalista Party, called the report speculation. Drilon and Villar have served as Senate President.
The talk was that Senator Ralph Recto of the Nacionalist Party, which has coalesced with the Liberal Party, would be installed as the new Senate President since he remained “acceptable” to all the political parties in the Senate.
“That’s speculation,” Recto said.
He told reporters he was not aware of the reported Senate coup or the plan to install him, saying he was not interested in

 succeeding Enrile.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III said he had no idea about the reported shakeup.
“If there’s report about it, it means that it’s not true. It will not happen,” he said.
“This has always occurred in the past–the changing of the guard.
Sotto said he believed the Senate’s support for Enrile remained solid.
“I know for a fact that the administration, the present administration, is pleased with the leadership of the Senate headed by Senator Enrile.”
It was also earlier reported that Senator Loren Legarda would be replacing Enrile, but Legarda said she hadn’t heard of any such report. (END)