Pssst, let’s urge senators to elect Chiz Escudero as Senate President to avoid dangerous power vacuum
March 19, 2010 | Posted by raissa robles There’s a very easy, painless, legal way to avoid a dangerous power vacuum in case a new President is not proclaimed by June 30 – the same day the tenures of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Vice-President Noli de Castro, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles all lapse.
This is by electing a new Senate President between May 31 and June 4, 2010 when Congress officially resumes its sessions. If you want to see the Senate calendar, click on this link.
This morning, before I uploaded this entry, I heard University of the Philippines College of Law dean, Marvic Leonen, express the same legal opinion on radio.
I base mine on what I learned while covering the Senate as a beat reporter.
The Constitution specifies that the Senate President should serve as the acting President “until the President or Vice-President shall have been elected and qualified.”
In the Senate President’s absence or incapacity, the House Speaker takes over. But that would be impossible after June 30 since all congressmen would also be out of office by then.
However, 12 senators would still be in office beyond June 30. In fact, their tenures would only expire in the year 2013. That was how the Constitution designed it in order to avoid a vacuum.
Unfortunately, the incumbent Senate President Enrile is not one of those senators. He will also be out of office by June 30, which is why he is running again.
Let’s examine the 12 senators who will remain beyond June 30 and see how acceptable they might be to their colleagues:
- Senators Benigno Aquino III and Manuel Villar are both running for President.
- Senator Loren Legarda is Villar’s running mate.
- Senator Alan Cayetano is aligned with Villar.
- Senator Francis Pangilinan is aligned with Aquino.
- Senator Joke Arroyo is aligned with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is suspected of angling to stay on in office.
- Senator Edgardo Angara is also aligned with Pres. Arroyo.
- Senator Miguel Zubiri is also aligned with Pres. Arroyo and suspected of electoral cheating by veteran Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
- Senator Panfilo Lacson has gone missing because of double murder raps.
- Senator Antonio Trillanes is in jail on rebellion charges.
- And who will trust a habitual failed coup plotter like Senator Gregorio Honasan to assume the post of Acting President?
And so that leaves only Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, a man without a political party – the man least likely to power grab for himself. A man who is credible and competent in law.
If you have a better suggestion, I would like to know.
Categories: 2010 election, Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero | 
Tags: 2010 elections, failure of elections, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero | 
14 Comments »
Dear Bystander,
Of course he will. But he ain’t got a party or supporters and he’s weak. So he won’t be able to hold on the presidency.
Raissa
CHIZ WILL GRAB THE OPPORUNITY IMAGINE ASCENDING TO THE PRESIDENCY WITHOUT LIFTINGA FINGER OR SPENDING A CENTAVO (REASON WHY WASN’T ABLE TO RUN IN THE FIRST PLACE)…
Dear Eufems,
sure you can.
Raissa
I so totally agree… Chiz also has the moral right to take over in case this proposal to put a 2013 term-ender as Senate President happens.
In the 2007 elections, Loren Legarda topped the Senatorial Race. However, morally, she can’t take over because she’s Villar’s running mate.
That leaves us with Chiz, who is in number 2 (sometimes he tops the quick count), currently very much unaffiliated, and very much qualified.
Can we launch a Chiz for Senate President campaign?
@newmoon kesa naman military junta di ba? gusto mo ng Burma? at least Chiz knows he shouldn’t stay there long…
i agree!! CHIZ ESCUDERO for SENATE PRESIDENT!
I don’t think it’s right to label Chiz Escudero, if he becomes Senate President, as the leader of the military junta. First of all, the Senate President is constitutionally recognized as a temporary caretaker in case a new President or Vice President fails to get proclaimed.
A military junta totaly violates the present Constitution. To call whoever is the Senate President the military junta leader is to disrespect the Constitution.
Well, there’s the leader of the military junta.
Chiz?! Oh crap. E di sige nalang, wala na palang iba. Talagang wala na ba?
Agree! I heart Chiz.
My better suggestion was to get rid of all of them altogether. But within the bounds of reason, Sen. Escudero would make sense as senate president.
“Joke Arroyo”…. heeheehee…