Koko Pimentel won’t comment on quo warranto suits vs. mid-term Senate win

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III won't comment on the petition seeking to invalidate his win in the 2019 Senate race, saying that responding now would be premature.

Pimentel was referring to two petitions for quo warranto filed against him by private citizens Reymar Mansilungan from Mercedes, Camarines Sur and Efren Adan who is a senior citizen from Manila before the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

The petitioners are arguing that allowing Pimentel to occupy a third consecutive Senate term—a term which starts on June 30 and ends in June 30, 2022—would violate the Constitution which only allows individuals to be elected for two consecutive six-year terms as a Senator.

"We will answer in due time. Quo warranto means by what authority. If they want me to answer now, then the authority of my office right now is the 2013 elections," Pimentel said.

Pimentel was referring to his current term which he won in the 2013 polls and which won't run out until June 30.

"Dapat ata sa new term na 'yan sagutin. That is what quo warranto means," Pimentel said.

Pimentel finished 10th in the 2019 polls with over 14.6 million votes.

Twelve years ago, then Congressman Juan Miguel Zubiri was proclaimed the 12th winning Senator winner in the 2007 polls before the Senate Electoral Tribunal ruled in favor of Pimentel’s election protest against Zubiri in August 2011.

Prior to the May 2019 polls, the Commission on Elections First Division junked two disqualification cases vs. Pimentel—anchored on the same grounds—in a unanimous decision.

It said the constitutional limit to two consecutive six-year Senate terms did not apply to Pimentel because his term was interrupted.

“The limitation refers to the term. As held in Lonzanida vs. Comelec, the term limit for elective local officials must be taken to refer to the right to be elected as well as the right to serve in the same elective position,” the Comelec Resolution read.

“Consequently, it is not enough that an individual has scored three consecutive terms in an elective local office, he must also have been elected to the same position for the same number of times before the disqualification can apply," it added.

"It is clear that Pimentel has not fully served his first term as a Senator; thus, the two-term limit does not yet apply to him,” the Comelec Resolution read.

The Resolution was signed by Comelec Commissioner Al Parreño, Rowena Guanzon and Marlon Casquejo. —NB, GMA News