SENATORS are too independent to be pressured by Malacañang into passing a bill postponing the August 8 election in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. make the remarks after President Benigno Aquino started on Tuesday a series of meetings with senators to push for ARMM poll postponement.

“I am confident that our senators can see through the unconstitutionality of postponing the ARMM election through a simple piece of legislation that will not be subjected to a plebiscite,” said Pimentel.

The ARMM Organic Law came into effect only after it was adopted by the people of ARMM through a referendum, Pimentel pointed out.  As such, the ARMM election cannot be postponed by a law not subjected to a plebiscite, he stressed.

“No luncheon meetings by the President with the senators can change the fact that Malacañang wants to postpone the ARMM election to 2013 so it can appoint its own people to govern the region in the next two years,” said Pimentel.

“Why? Has this administration run out of appointive positions that it now wants to dispense to its allies what are elective positions at ARMM? Our democracy is being sacrificed by this administration before the altar of political accommodation.”

Pimentel noted the strong opposition to the ARMM bill of Senators Edgardo Angara, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Joker Arroyo and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, the chair of the Senate Local Government Committee tackling the bill.

On Tuesday, Aquino met with four senators belonging to his own party, the Liberal Party, before meeting with Senators Panfilo Lacson and Antonio Trillanes.

“The eyes of the people are on Senator Trillanes because they would want to know whether he would toe Malacañang’s line just because it was President Aquino who granted him amnesty over the Oakwood mutiny,” said Pimentel.

“This is a golden opportunity for the young senator to prove that he is not beholden to anyone and to affirm the overwhelming desire of the people of ARMM not to be denied their right to vote.”