Senator Vicente Sotto III shows a canister of the painkiller “Wariactiv” during his privilege speech at the Philippine Senate, Tuesday. Sotto urged the Dangerous Drugs Board to test the over-the-counter ethyl-chloride spray, which allegedly caused the deaths of 5 Close-up Forever Summer party-goers. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Wednesday revealed that Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III was one of the 18 senators who have committed support to his group, which is discussing who should lead the Senate in the 17th Congress.
“Sa grupo namin kasama si Sen. Koko Pimentel eh,” Sotto said, adding that “two of [Pimentel’s] close friends” in the Senate have also committed support to his group.
Pimentel had said that he will seek the Senate presidency.
Sotto, meanwhile, clarified that their group has yet to decide who will they field for the Senate presidency during the opening of the next Congress on July 25.
Sotto had said that the group is pushing him to be the next Senate president.
“Ang aming grupo based on advocacy. Ang imoprtante sa amin ‘tayo ba magkakasama tayo para sa budget reform, working relationship with the incoming president, sa climate change, economy, anti-corruption?’ Kaya yan nabuo namin ang 18 naming kasama na committed dito sa ganito,” he explained.
He added: “After that then we decide who will be Senate President, kung sino ang magiging lider namin. Ganoon ang sitwasyon namin ngayon kaya totoo na ganun ang sabi ko na may commitment kami na ganung karami.”
Sotto said that the other senators in the group are Senators Gringo Honasan, who represents the United Nationalist Alliance; him and Sen. Loren Legarda, representing the Nationalist People’s Coalition; and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, an independent.
He also said that Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero are also among the 18.
Sotto said that newcomer Senator-elect Manny Pacquiao seemed committed when he met with the boxing icon with Honasan.
Sotto said that they are also talking with members of the Liberal Party, including Sen. Ralph Recto, and other incoming senators Risa Hontiveros and Joel Villanueva, who are guest candidates of the Liberal Party.
He said he is also planning to meet with incumbent Senate President Franklin Drilon.
He added that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is also talking with their group and the other senators.
“Nakikipagusap siya sa amin, pero wala kaming commitment sa kanya. Wala rin siyang commitment sa amin. Meron din siyang kinkakausap sa grupo namin,” he said.
Cayetano had said that at least 15 senators have committed their support for him to be the next Senate President.
Cayetano and Pimentel are both allies of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Cayetano was Duterte’s running mate in the last elections while Pimentel is the incoming president’s party mate in the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.
The senators vying for the Senate presidency need at least 13 votes. If the aspirants fail to get the needed votes, the incumbent Senate President will remain in his post.
Sotto said that the Senate will remain an independent institution if his group wins the Senate presidency.
“We will run it na conscientious leadership ang pagpapatakbo. Ang gysto namin ay maging independent ang Senate,” he said.
The senator, meanwhile, assured that their group is willing to work with the administration of Duterte if his programs and legislative agenda are aligned with their advocacy.
“Although we will be having a working relationship with the incoming president and we can assure them that. But we will not be subservient. Ang importante kasi ang Senate being the last bastion of democracy as they call it, should be independent,” he said.
Sotto also assured the incoming administration that the senators in their group are either Duterte’s “ally, friend or not his enemy.”
“Kung maganda ang programa at tama ang legislative agenda gaya ng karamihan ng advocacy namin gaya ng binbanggit ni President rody ay hindi kami magkakaroon ng problema,” he said. (MNS)