Joker wants out of Senate blue-ribbon race; 3 others eyed

Senator Joker Arroyo, reportedly preferred by Malacañang to continue heading the Senate blue-ribbon committee, wants to be left out of consideration because he no longer interested. “I’ve said it a long time ago. I’m not interested. I’m out of it," said Arroyo, who for the last six years headed the Senate panel that probes alleged government anomalies. Arroyo likened himself to “expired medicine" that should be replaced or removed from the medicine cabinet. “I’m like expired medicine. I’ve been there too long," said Arroyo, who earned a fresh six-year term running under the administration's Team Unity senatorial ticket. Meanwhile, the majority coalition led by Senate President Manuel Villar is reportedly considering administration senators Eduardo Angara and Juan Ponce Enrile along with opposition lawmaker Loren Legarda as possible chair of the blue-ribbon committee. A source in the majority coalition said Angara, a former opposition lawmaker who won reelection under TU, and Enrile, another former opposition lawmaker now identified with the administration, cropped up as possible choices due to their stature as experienced lawyers and legislators. Legarda, a returning senator who topped the Senate race running under the Genuine Opposition, was considered a dark horse for the post, as a possible compromise with the minority bloc. Malacañang was reportedly enraged that Senator Alan Cayetano, a fierce critic of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo although now identified with Villar’s opposition-administration majority coalition, was being eyed to head the blue-ribbon committee. -GMANews.TV