Enrile Named Senate Winner in Philippines

The Supreme Court today ordered election officials to proclaim opposition leader Juan Ponce Enrile the winner of the last contested Senate seat.

Enrile will be only the second opposition member in the 24-seat Senate. He said he was “happy about this turn of events” and called the court ruling a victory for “the entire system under which we live.”

The Commission on Elections proclaimed winners in 23 Senate races after May 11 elections but left the last seat vacant pending court challenges by Enrile and Augusto Sanchez, a former labor minister under President Corazon Aquino.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court voided a commission order granting Sanchez a vote recount, saying it was too long after the election. Sanchez had contended that thousands of ballots were discarded because they carried only his last name and canvassers could not tell if the votes were for him or another candidate, Gil Sanchez.

“I feel bad that the Supreme Court itself, the so-called bulwark of democracy, should be the one to prevent the counting of the people’s votes. That is why this hurts a lot,” Sanchez said.

Enrile, who was defense minister under deposed President Ferdinand E. Marcos for 16 years, helped lead the February, 1986, military-civilian revolt that toppled Marcos and swept Aquino to power.

Aquino kept Enrile as defense secretary until November, when she fired him after a reported coup attempt by officers close to him. He has led the opposition to the Aquino government since then.

The only other opposition member in the Senate is actor Joseph Estrada. Other members ran on Aquino’s “People Power” coalition.