Senator Juan Ponce Enrile has resigned as Senate President on June 5, supposedly the last day of the 15th congress, after claiming that a few of his fellow senators had tarnished the upper house’s esteemed reputation by antagonizing him.

Inquirer.net reports that Enrile, who still has three years left to serve in the senate, had blamed Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Miriam Defensor-Santiago as the ones who are primarily responsible for besmirching his name.

“No less than the son of my former (law) partner, the late Sen. Renato L. Cayetano, would dare accuse me of being a thief or a scoundrel,” Enrile said about Cayetano.

He also alleged that Santiago, whom he described as “a noncandidate senator who fashions herself as my nemesis and who evidently delights in doing the job,” would frequently launch “virulent personal attacks” against him.

The two senators had complained about Enrile due to his distribution of P1.8 million worth of additional maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) as well as a P250,000 cash bonus to 18 senators in December 2012. Cayetano and Santiago, as well as Sen. Pia Cayetano and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, were not given additional funds by the senate president.

In lieu of Enrile’s resignation, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada will temporarily serve as Senate President until the 16th congress starts in July. Senator Franklin Drilon is widely expected to be elected as Enrile’s successor.

(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy via Wikimedia Commons)