Enrile prefers legislative work than talk 2016 - Sotto

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile would rather focus on his legislative work than play an active role in the 2016 national elections, his close ally said.

 

“He’s no longer going to seek any public office. He doesn’t want to meddle in politics…He will just concentrate on legislation, the job that he’s supposed to do,” Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in an interview.

 

Sotto, along with other members of the Senate minority, met with Enrile on Tuesday to update him about the status of pending major bills, among others.

 

“It’s all Senate work being discussed, no politics. As he mentioned, he’s no longer a politician so he’s concentrating [on work],” Sotto said.

 

Enrile returned to work Monday after more than a year of being placed under hospital detention on plunder charges for allegedly pocketing millions from his pork barrel allocation.

 

Last week, the 91-year-old senator was granted temporary liberty after the Supreme Court (SC) justices voted 8-4 in favor of his petition for bail.

 

Sotto said it seems Enrile “missed” performing his legislative duties as he was already reviewing the proposed substitute bill creating the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

 

Sotto, however, clarified that Enrile’s position on evading political talk does not necessarily mean he will not support a candidate in 2016.

 

Enrile is known as a close ally of Vice President Jejomar BInay, who is set to run for president under the United Nationalist Alliance.

 

“I think it’s an educated decision on his part na for his age, why embroil himself in such problems and such issues when he can be still very effective in helping the legislative department of the country,” Sotto said.

 

“But it doesn’t prevent him – I think – from saying that he wants this person or he will vote for this particular person or will support a particular candidate,” the senator added. —ALG, GMA News