Pangilinan shrugs off #OustKiko: I’m not giving up post because of online trolls’ clamor

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday said he will not yield his position as chairperson of the constitutional amendments committee due to the demand of online trolls who, he believes, are behind the #OustKiko campaign on Twitter.

"I am ready to give up the post anytime if asked by the Senate leadership but certainly not because of the 'clamor' of paid online trolls," Pangilinan, amember of the minority bloc, said in a message.

"Besides, the argument that the problem of COVID will be solved by Charter change is quite frankly out of this world," he added.

Even the Senate leaders downplayed the trending topic calling for the removal of Pangilinan.

"I'm the Senate President and I have never heard of such. Mabuti pa sila, dami nilang alam," Senate President Vicente Sotto III said in a message to reporters, referring to the netizens. "Imbento siguro."

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon also believes some paid keyboard warriors have their hands on this.

"A feeble effort by the one managing the troll farm to amend the Constitution," he said.

The #OustKiko remains to be top trending on Twitter as of posting time—having been used in more than 10,300 tweets. — RSJ, GMA News