THE new majority that ousted Senate President Manuel Villar on Tuesday delivered the Senate presidency to Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile with a carte blanche.

Enrile claimed he didn’t seek the presidency, but took the offer of the majority “seriously” if the group had the numbers (14) to replace Villar. It would then appear that the presidency was a ripe plum, ready to fall into his lap.

There had been persistent rumors since July about plots to oust Villar. So indifferent did Enrile appear to the move to topple Villar that he was quoted as saying at one time that the Senate “was no longer functioning as expected by the public because of politicking.”

Thus, following his election to the presidency, Enrile has become an enigma, leaving the public and even his backers in the Senate coup without a hint of the kind of leadership he would provide to make the chamber “functional” or above “politicking” (of which he is a shrewd practitioner). They have given him the freest hand in shaping the Senate agenda in the history of shake-ups that have made the chamber an unstable forum of legislative leadership.

Sen. Loren Legarda, who was in the core group of senators that were disgruntled with Villar’s leadership, said, “We must have a Senate that is committed to fairness, statesmanship, and we must put national interest above political gain or expediency.” She said the plotters worked hard to get the numbers to oust Villar to “strengthen the institution.”

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, another member of the core group, said, “Senator Enrile is the only one we saw to make the Senate an independent institution. He told us he will fight for the independence of the Senate.”

Villar also spoke in terms of the independence of the Senate. In tendering his resignation after seeing that Enrile had the numbers, Villar congratulated Enrile and pledged his support “in seeing to it that this chamber continues to maintain its unquestionable independence and its solid reputation as a bulwark of democracy.”

These statements reflect the primacy concern of the senators in effecting leadership change: preserving the independence of the Senate. When senators speak of independence, they have in mind the chamber’s independence from the executive department, the historical source of threat to the tripartite separation of powers and the senators’ right to conduct inquiries into scandals involving corruption in the executive department and their oversight into executive actions.

But of more concern to the public is whether the Enrile assumption of the Senate presidency would lead to the transformation of the Senate from an inquisitorial institution that has served as a forum for senators to act as tormentors of witnesses summoned to testify at their hearings. During such hearings, witnesses, including those testifying over public transactions or officials whose appointments are subject to confirmation, are bullied and humiliated by senators. This is what the public is concerned about more than the epic battle between the executive and legislature in the dynamic of the system of checks and balances among the three departments of government.

Related to this question is: Will an Enrile presidency make the Senate less oppressive to witnesses in its inquiries, or enhance his powers to protect or promote his business interests, such as his enclave at Port Irene in Cagayan province?

The motive of the core group in pushing for the ouster of Villar was stated by Lacson, who said the plot was “a work in progress since the C-5 controversy.” Lacson was referring to his accusation that Villar initiated the double entry in the budget for the extension of the C-5 road in Parañaque City and Las Piñas City. Villar has been accused of personally benefiting from the C-5 extension project, since this passed through property owned by his real estate firms. Lacson is an announced aspirant for the presidency, as is Villar.

Legarda said Enrile “knew it was coming in the past weeks, especially with the C-5 scandal.” She said that in the eyes of “senators and the people,” Villar had already lost the “moral ascendancy” to lead the Senate. She said the Senate should be worthy of the people’s trust and support.

Whether or not Villar’s presidential chances have been damaged by his ouster or whether this has enhanced the presidential aspirations of Legarda and Sen. Manuel Roxas, who have announced their bids for the presidency, will be shown in due time.

So far, Enrile has been the immediate beneficiary of this turn of events in terms of strengthening his official position in the power hierarchy. He is known as a staunch ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and has been supportive of her restrictive policies on human rights and policies related to the enhancement of the police powers of the state in dealing with demonstrations by protest groups and disruptions of public order.

The former chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who abstained from voting, pointed to three issues as keys to Enrile’s direction as Senate president: the moves for constitutional change, the Senate investigations into scandals rocking the administration, and the replacement of seven retiring Supreme Court justices. Enrile will be closely watched as he positions the Senate in relation to the Arroyo administration, which has been fighting for its life amid a series of political crises.

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