(Update) PMA alumni to form new Senate bloc

For the first time in the history of the Senate, four alumni of the Philippine Military Academy would be sitting together as senators, and they are forming a solid bloc in the Upper Chamber. In separate interviews, Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Panfilo Lacson said that with the re-election of Gregorio Honasan and the imminent victory of former Navy officer Antonio Trillanes, they would be forming a bloc of PMA alumni. Biazon is a PMA graduate batch 1961. Lacson and Honasan were classmates under batch 1971 and Trillanes graduated with PMA batch 1995. "Our group would be known as the "Tuesday (or Thursday) Cavalier Club," said Biazon. The concept of the group of the PMA alumni and the name is apparently a take off from the "Wednesday Group" composed of Senate President Manuel Villar, Senators Ralph Recto, Francis Pangilinan, Joker Arroyo and Vice President Noli De Castro. Biazon said with their common background the most likely focus of the advocacy of their group would be on defense, security and public order issues, although they could also adopt other advocacies. "Of course, we may have different views with respect to particular issues on these advocacies but we would have a common ground for understanding," Biazon said. Lacson said he had in fact visited Trillanes, who is currently detained at Fort Bonifacio on charges of rebellion, and broached the idea to him. "We talked about this when I visited Sonny Trillanes. I discussed with him the possibility that we band for pursuing common advocacies for the good of the Senate, for the institution, but not to be obstructionist," Lacson said. "After all, we speak the same language. It would be easy for us (four) to understand each other. And maybe we don't have different advocacies, so it's very easy for us to jell," he added. However, it is not yet clear, whether or not Trillanes could actually get out from detention and attend the sessions of the Senate if he is already proclaimed as a senator. Unlike Honasan who is out on bail, Trillanes may find it difficult to get bail because he is charged with rebellion, which is a capital offense for which bail is not allowed. With the Senate leadership issue yet to be decided finally on June 30, it is not yet clear how the Upper Chamber would tackle the issue of the continued detention of Trillanes. The matter, according to several senators, would be entirely up to the court to decide. - GMANews.TV