Senate President Enrile will enjoy my full support -- Villar

MANILA, Nov. 18 (PNA) — Newly-installed Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile will enjoy the support of his predecessor resigned Senate President Manuel Villar Jr.

Villar said that he respects the veteran lawmaker who succeeded him as the leader of the Upper Chamber after he resigned from his post during the opening of the session Monday afternoon.

”My dear colleagues in this august chamber, the tenure of the Senate President -- as everyone knows -- depends on the number of the members that supports him or her. I was informed this afternoon I no longer have the support of majority of my colleagues. I therefore tender my resignation and congratulate the new Senate President, Honorable Juan Ponce Enrile,” Sen. Villar said during the opening of session.

Instead of waiting for the resolution by his colleagues in the Senate withdrawing their support for Villar, the lawmaker tendered his resignation.

”You have my support in seeing to it this chamber continue to maintain its unquestionable independence and solid reputation. I shall now have more time to be with people in the countryside and with my family,” Villar added, who is also the president of Nacionalista Party who declared his intention to run in the coming 2010 presidential polls.

Senator Panfilo Lacson nominated Sen. Enrile as the new leader of the Upper Chamber and was seconded by Senator Gregorio Honasan who is a known ally of Enrile even during the EDSA People Power 1 revolution.

No one among the senators stood to contest the nomination of Sen. Enrile as the new senate chief.

Sen. Honasan administered the oath of office of the newly-installed Senate President.

Those who voted for Enrile as the new senate president were Senators Francis Escudero, Edgardo Angara, Jinggoy Estrada, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Gregorio Honasan, Rodolfo Biazon, Jamby Madrigal, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Ricard Gordon and Ramon Revilla Jr.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan immediately tendered his resignation as majority leader of the Senate and he was replaced by Sen. Zubiri as officer-in-charge.