Pangilinan resigns as Senate majority leader

MANILA, Philippines - Following the resignation of Senator Manuel Villar as Senate president, independent Senator Francis Pangilinan also relinquished his post as the Senate Majority Leader on Monday afternoon. At the same time, Pangilinan congratulated the newly-installed Senate President, administration Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. "I sincerely congratulate the new Senate President, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, and trust that the new leadership will continue to preserve the vigilance, independence and valour of the institution that stood firm in acting as a check and balance to its co-equal branches of government for many years," said Pangilinan. “I likewise relinquish my post as Majority Leader with utmost gratitude and pride. Whether in the majority or the minority, we will remain independent, consistent with one stand when we were re-elected in May 2007," he added. Pangilinan, meanwhile, added that he would remain “committed to crafting relevant legislation, and strengthening the Senate of the Philippines as an institution designed to improve the lives of our people." The change in the Senate leadership came three days after the re-opening of the probe into the said scam where its alleged mastermind, former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc" Bolante, testified for the first time. Villar, an opposition senator, was replaced by Enrile, who was voted by 14 senators to the third highest position in the land. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV