Lacson maintains support for Sotto's leadership of Senate

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday expressed his continued support for Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III's leadership amid reports that some senators are planning to leave the majority bloc.

“Kung ako tatanungin, patuloy yung support ko sa kanya. Ngayon, kung sa pananaw ng aking mga kasamahan nagkukulang din siya sa leadership, eh lagi naman ganyan sa Sesnate, kung sino merong majority, kung sino may at least 13 ay pwede tanggalin ang nakaupo at palitan kung sino man merong 13,” the senator told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(If you ask me, I continue to support him. Now, if my colleagues believe his leadership is lacking, well that’s how it has always been is in the Senate. Whoever has the majority, at least 13 votes, can unseat and replace them with anyone who has the support of 13.)

He added that he witnessed Sotto’s leadership of the upper chamber for the longest time in the 19th Congress.

“Maayos siya magpalakad, maayos ang kanyang leadership. Laging consensus. Hindi siya nagdidkta, hindi siya nag dedecide mag isa,” Lacson told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(He manages matters well and has good leadership. He always seeks a consensus. He doesn’t dictate or make decisions on his own.). 

When asked if Sotto’s leadership remains stable after some lawmakers were linked to alleged anomalies in flood control projects, Lacson said he did not want to second-guess his colleagues’ opinions.

“Hindi ko alam kasi nasa isipan yun ng aking mga kasamahan,” Lacson said.

(I don’t know about that, because that is my colleagues’ own take on that.)

Lacson’s remarks came after Senator JV Ejercito said he was disappointed that the Senate seemed to forget the real culprits of irregularities in flood control projects and that he is thinking of leaving the majority bloc.— Mariel Celine Serquiña/JMA, GMA Integrated News