Pangilinan withdraws from the senate presidential race

MANILA, July 26 (PNA)-—Senator Francis Pangilinan of Liberal Party (LP) withdrew from the senate presidency race on Sunday.

Sen. Pangilinan said in a statement that he recognized that he could not muster the 13 votes needed to become the Senate President.

"After prayer and reflecting, consulting my family and our Senate allies I have decided to withdraw from the race in order to pave way for the senators to choose another from our ranks who can unite us," Sen. Pangilinan said in his statement on Sunday.

According to Pangilinan, instead of uniting, the Senate became fragmented which pushed him to withdraw from the race and find another senator that will ran instead of him to unite the Upper Chamber.

Pangilinan made the decision after Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile announced that some members of the LP had asked him to seek the presidency again.

Some LP members in the Upper House told Enrile that their bet cannot muster the needed 13 votes to secure the senate presidency.

Pangilinan also thanked prayed and support him.

Senator Vicente Sotto III and Senator Gregorio Honasan made an announcement that they are still undecided whom they will support but aired that they will not vote for Pangilinan.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada who earlier pledged his support to Pangilinan but will change his mind if Sen. Enrile will run again as Senate chief.

Enrile on the other hand said that he will not actively seek the senate presidency but will only accept it if 13 senators voted for him.

After Pangilinan withdraw from the senate presidency race, then Senator Manuel Villar Jr. of Nacionalista Party will be the only contender against Enrile for the Senate post.

Supporters of Sen. Villar includes Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pilar Juliana Cayetano, Joker Arroyo, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The undecided and part of Senator Edgardo Angara's bloc, include senators Honasan, Sotto, Loren Legarda, Lito Lapid, Ramon Bong Revilla, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.(PNA)