Pimentel downplays alleged Senate leadership change on Monday

Despite his readiness to relinquish his post, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III expressed confidence Thursday that it will not happen on Monday.

“Nothing will happen on Monday,” Pimentel said when asked about the leadership change amid a report that 14 senators have signed a resolution for it.

He said he has no idea about the resolution as it has not been mentioned by his supposed replacement, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

Pimentel also said that he will not conduct a loyalty check.

“No need to do that as I am very willing to be replaced by someone whose term goes beyond June 30, 2019 so that we will still have an SP (Senate President) after that date,” he said, referring to the end of the second regular session of the 17th Congress.

He will be seeking reelection in the 2019 senatorial polls and is expected to file his certificate of candidacy in October.

“Sen. Sotto complies with that requirement,” he said.

Among those who supposedly signed the resolution were Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan II, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Manny Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Lacson refused to talk about the matter.

“My lips are sealed. It will happen when it happens,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Senate resolution

The supposed document is titled “Resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to reorganize its leadership and electing Senator Vicente C. Sotto III as the new Senate president.”

It cited Section 16, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution which mandates the Senate to elect its president through a majority vote of all its members.

“By a majority vote of all the senators, Senator Vicente C. Sotto III is hereby elected as the new Senate President to discharge the duties and powers granted to him by the Rules of the Senate,” it stated.

“Now therefore, be it resolved, as it hereby resolved by majority a majority vote of all the senators, to express its sense to re-organize its leadership and hereby electing Senator Vicente C. Sotto as the new Senate President,” it added.

Pimentel earlier said that he can be replaced anytime.

“We should not be too attached to the position. Kung may change sa sentiment, we follow,” he added.

Pimentel said he will be busy not only with his own reelection but also with party matters as he is also the president of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the ruling political party of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Unfortunately for me, I am also president of PDP-Laban so I have to prepare the slate of the party nationwide. So hindi lang ako busy sa filing ng COC (certificate of candidacy) ko, buong partido ang inaasikaso ko. I am busy nowadays with political matters,” he said.

Pimentel said he has yet to discuss the leadership change with other senators.

A caucus will be conducted Monday next week. —KG/RSJ, GMA News