Super majority to back Pimentel’s Senate presidency

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Sunday said a majority coalition of 19 senators from several political parties would support his Senate presidential bid on July 25.

The 19 senators committed to back Pimentel’s Senate presidency after Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano who earlier expressed intention of leading the Senate withdrew, clearing the way for the former to claim a huge mandate.

Among the 19 senators who vowed to support Pimentel are incumbent Sens. Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Bam Aquino, Sonny Angara, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Franklin Drilon, Cynthia Villar, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II and Grace Poe as well as returning Sens. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Richard “Dick” Gordon and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. Neophyte Sens. Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Garchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Leila De Lima also expressed their support.

According to Pimentel’s camp, Villar was the latest to join the Senate super majority even as Pimentel announced that the “coveted” chairmanship of the blue ribbon committee would be handled by Gordon.

The Senate is expected to vote the Senate president before the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte at the House of Representatives.

Pimentel who sees the position as a huge challenge and responsibility, would follow the footsteps of his father former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. The older Pimentel was known for his Local Government Code of 1991.

The presumptive Senate president said he vowed to lead an “activist Senate.” He said he would turn it into a bastion of legislative support for Duterte’s initiatives such as “increasing agitation for peace with Muslim and Communist insurgents, a stop to corruption and all-out war on crime especially the illicit drug trade.”

“Ill be consultative, gusto ko ginugulo ko din ang mga kasama ko pag may problema, problemahin din nila,” Pimentel said in a release.

“We'll do our job the way I know through hard work and steely discipline,” he said.

Pimentel is also the president of Partido-Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, the political party of Duterte.