Baguilat Explains Why LP Senators Still Want Pimentel as Senate President Instead of Sotto

Fourteen senators signed a resolution on Thursday, May 17 to elect Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto as Senate President as replacement for Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the president of the ruling party, PDP-Laban. Ironically, none of them is a member or ally of the Liberal Party (LP). Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat explained why.

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“The party wants Senate President Koko Pimentel to stay, and we don’t want Sen. Tito Sotto to replace him. Maaaring magtaka ang publiko dahil sa sinusuportahan namin siya kahit siya ang kasalukuyan pinuno ng PDP-Laban. Pero ang totoo, maraming issues ngayon na kakampi namin sya.” Baguilat, who is also LP’s VP for external affairs, said in a statement.

(The public may be wondering why we are supporting him, given the fact that he is the current leader of PDP-Laban. But the truth is, there are recent issues that he is our ally.)

Baguilat did not mention those issues, however, the DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters) recently criticized Pimentel over his statement on the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) to oust Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice last week via 8-6 votes. According to the senate president, the SC ruling would result into a constitutional crisis in the country.

“Bakit ko sinabi na magkaka-crisis tayo? Kasi sa mata ng Supreme Court, tanggal na si Chief Justice eh, [pero kung] sa mata ng Kongreso, hindi pa tanggal si Chief Justice, then we have a problem. Kasi ano talagang status niya? Tanggal o hindi tanggal?” Pimentel said in a radio interview, which the SC later has strongly opposed.

Meanwhile, the 14 senators who have already signed the resolution to replace Pimentel as Senate president are Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Chiz Escudero, Win Gatchalian, Dick Gordon, Gringo Honasan, Ping Lacson, Loren Legarda, Manny Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar and Migs Zubiri.



Among those who did not sign are Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Antonio Trillanes IV, Risa Hontiveros, and Leila de Lima. Sen. Grace Poe is set to sign the said resolution this Friday, which means all in all, there are 15 senators who want Pimentel out as Senate president.

Contributed by Orlando Gagui