The next Senate president to be chosen when the 15th Congress opens on July 26 must be able to uphold the dignity and independence of the Upper Chamber as an institution, according to Senator Edgardo J. Angara.

Angara, titular head of an independent seven-member bloc in the Senate, said his group is not disqualifying anyone seeking their support in the race for the 19th president of the Senate.

An independent Senate should be led by someone who puts the people’s interest first, regardless of party affiliation, he said.

Angara’s bloc is said to hold the “the swing votes’’ as parties pushing candidates for Senate president lack the 13 votes needed to sew up the presidency.

Senator Manuel Villar, former Senate president and president of the Nacionalista Party (NP) reportedly has seven votes while Sen. Francis Pangilinan of the Liberal Party (LP) is said to have nine votes.

Both LP and NP have four members each in the Senate.

However, Pangilinan has noticeably been active in courting the other senators for their votes. Reporters, however, still have to see Villar publicly making his campaign rounds.

This opens the door for Angara or Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile as the probable compromise candidate for the presidency. Enrile was the last Senate chief in the 14th Congress.

Angara said he is no longer interested in the Senate presidency.