Pimentel: Cayetano agreed to work with me

Refusing to use the term conceded, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday said he and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano have agreed to work together to push the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Pimentel said he and Cayetano met before Duterte Tuesday in Malacañang.

“You better ask him (if he conceded), ang last usapan namin ni Alan (Cayetano) in front of the President [ay] kami po ay magkasama, we belong  to one camp and we should work together, yun po ang aking nakuhang mensahe sa kanya. ‘Yun din naman ang mensahe ko sa kanya so that should be it,” he told reporters.

“He (Cayetano) made that statement before the President, in the presence of the President,” he added.  

Asked if Cayetano told him that he will no longer seek the Senate presidency, Pimentel said he does not know his colleague’s plans.

“I don’t know. You better get his plans, I’m just relaying to you as I understood it. Kami po ay magkasama,” he said.

He refused to make any statement on behalf of Cayetano. 

“Yung meaning beyond the words, you better ask Alan. Yan ang aming exchange and ganun naman ang dati ko pang iniisip na talagang magkasama kami, we belong to one camp, that is the clear  agreement. We are both protective and supportive of the President,” he said.

He admitted that the agreement gave him relief.

“Napakahalagang pangyayari po nito parang isang tinik na nabunot o nawala,” he said.

Because of the agreement, Pimentel said the senators who have earlier expressed support to Cayetano are now talking to him and he is now preparing the committees they will lead. 

“Yung mga pinaniniwalaan niyong mga senador (na sumusuporta kay Cayetano) ay binibigyan ko na po ng committee chairmanships. Senator JV (Ejercito) will get housing, Migs (Zubiri) wil get trade and industry, (Richard) Gordon pinag-iisipan pa niya but he will get something, (Cynthia) Villar wala pang klaro,” he said.

Asked what committee would Cayetano lead, Pimentel said the former told him not to worry about him.

“Huwag ko daw siyang isipin e sabi niya so hindi ko siya iniisip,” he said. 

“Anyway, ang importante ay may manifestation na from Sen. Alan Cayetano kasi on Monday, we are not going to fix the chairmanships,  these will be fixed in the coming days,” he added.

On what prompted Cayetano to somehow give way, Pimentel believes it was because Duterte’s SONA is already on Monday. 

“Monday is approaching, kailangan may desisyon na po kami and the senators who are truly supportive of the President. Sayang naman if their role in the majority is not clear until Monday and until next week so we better clarify things,” he said.

GMA News Online tried but failed to get Cayetano's statement on the matter.

With the agreement, 19 senators are now members of the majority bloc, including Pimentel. — RSJ, GMA News