Senator Juan Ponce Enrile irrevocably resigned as Senate president at the close of the 15th Congress this week.
In his valedictory speech, Enrile said: “I refuse to lend my hard-earned name as a convenient refuge to those who cannot face the public and defend their own honor. I refuse to allow anybody, whether in or outside the halls of this Chamber, to just freely trample upon the name that my late father, Alfonso Ponce Enrile, had so kindly allowed me to carry with pride.”
Enrile was referring to the controversy early this year after he released around P1.6 million as additional “maintenance and other operating expenditures” (MOOE) to 18 colleagues from “savings” of the chamber in 2012.
He released P250,000 to 4 senators whom the Senate president doesn't see eye-to-eye on a number of issues--the Cayetano siblings, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, and Senator Antonio Trillanes.
“I suffered the anger of the public as the media branded all that I had authorized for release to the Senators' offices last December as my personal ‘CASH GIFTS’ no matter how hard I tried to explain the nature of these disbursements from the Senate's coffers and my own office's savings,” he said.
He said he will not allow any senator, specifically a “self-confessed psychological case” and “the son of my former partner, the late Senator Renato L. Cayetano” to trample on his name.
“I do not need nor intend to use the powers, perquisites and trappings of the Senate Presidency just to cling to it or to secure this position for myself when the 16th Congress opens in July…Let us all be men and women worthy of being called "Honorable Senators." And let the chips fall where they may,” he said.
He said it’s about time that each and every senator answer and be accountable to the Senate’s reputation. He said it is not just about moving on after the mid-term elections, where his son lost.
He said the Senate is not just about Juan Ponce Enrile.
“I will leave each of my colleagues to explain directly to the people who elected them their respective positions on these issues and to account for their own budgets, as I have always been ready to account for my own. I can no longer speak for them. I refuse to be anyone's scapegoat and everyone's whipping boy,” he said.
He said he was left alone when the backlash came because of the “cash gifts” he gave to colleagues.
well may hinanakit din siya sa mga senadors
na kinukwestyon ang pagbibigay niya ng pera sa nga senadors
at least wala na siya sa main picture pero
mukang si drillon talaga ang papalit sa kanya eh
sabi nga sa news kanina sa isang guesting sa independence ceremony
the new senate president frankilin drillon hays over
sabi nga sa news kanina sa isang guesting sa independence ceremony
the new senate president frankilin drillon hays over
Really..? Poor senate.... Miriam, sermonan mo na sila.. hehe
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eh ganun talaga so wala na tayo magagawa
sadyang madami lang sipsip at epal sa senado kaya ganyan
probably senator enrile was thinking something like this "you want my position and all the headaches that come with the job? go ahead, it is all yours. tingnan natin kung tatagal kayo."
well parang ganun na rin yan sir
napagod na siya dahil puro sakit ng ulo na lang ang dulot ng posisyon sa kanya
Yeah stressful talaga yan position as senate president. As co equal rank ng president at ng chief justice yan position.. pero sa palagay ko hindi dahil sa stressful yun position.. may nanyayare sa loob na di pa natin alam..
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well na stress siya dahil pinagkakaisahan daw siya
ng mga ibang members ng senate eh about sa mga issues