A few days after Sen. Leila M. de Lima was arrested on drug charges, the 24-man Senate led by Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III yesterday removed Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, a Liberal Party stalwart, as the Senate President Pro Tempore.
Drilon lost the leadership post after Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao made a motion to declare the position of the Senate President Pro Tempore vacant at the start of the plenary session.
Drilon stood up but did not oppose the motion and seconded Pacquiao’s motion.
Seventeen senators then voted for Sen. Ralph Recto as the new Senate President Pro Tempore. Recto previously held the position as Senate minority leader.
Voting for Recto were Pimentel, Pacquiao, and Senators Nancy Binay, Alan Peter Cayetano, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Grace Poe, Vicente Sotto III, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.
LP senators Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, Pangilinan, and Risa Hontiveros were stripped of the chairmanship of major committees during the Senate reorganization after Pacquiao moved to declare the chairmanship of the Senate Health and Demography, Agriculture, and Education Committees vacant. (Hannah L. Torregoza)
