Senator Manuel Villar Jr. and his Nacionalista Party (NP) expect the Senate to thwart the possibility of a failure of elections in May, saying they find the proposal for the chamber to elect a new Senate President a good initiative.

Villar said it is imperative that the Senate must be prepared for any “extra-constitutional” efforts that may occur when no successor is proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after the polls.

“We have to work within the constitutional framework. Should anything bad happens, we should be ready,” Villar said during a visit to the Manila Bulletin last Tuesday.

“That (election of a new Senate President) must be done if that’s should be the only thing to assure continuity. Because we do not know what would be the scenario, so we have to move very quickly in case that happens,” he added.

Villar also said that he would abide by the decision of the senators on the issue as the position for the Senate presidency would be left vacant after June 30. Incumbent Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is running for reelection.

Villar said that while the election of a Senate president is a normal process, it would be better if senators choose a leader whose term will end in 2013.

Senator Edgardo Angara, earlier suggested that the Senate elect somebody from among the 12 senators whose term is not yet expiring to take over as the country’s interim president should the May elections fail.

The Senate president is third in the succession line in the absence of the president and the vice president. Under the Constitution, no holdover president is allowed after June 30.

The terms of President Gloria Arroyo, Vice President Noli De Castro, and Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. also end on June 30.

Villar said that at present, he sees no rush to elect a new Senate president because the failure of elections scenario being painted by some sectors was speculative.

“Pero kung may mangyayari na at kakailanganin na maghalal ng isang Senate President na hindi pa tapos ang term, iyan naman ay gagawin ng Senado, (But if something happens then there is a need to elect a new Senate President whose term will not yet expire),” said Villar, who once held the post.

“Kung ano ang desisyon ng Senado, iyon naman normally ang mangyayari. Ako ay susunod lamang sa magiging desisyon ng buong Senado,” he said. (“Whatever the decision of the Senate, that is bound to happen. I will just follow with the decision of the whole senators.”)

Prior to this, Villar stated any move to change the current leadership in the Senate is a matter “internal” to the chamber’s majority, a coalition backed and assembled by Malacañang.

“They have the numbers to do it. So any rigodon in the Senate is a matter internal to the majority group, which counts among its members some of the leading lights of the ruling party Lakas-Kampi,” Villar said.