Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Sunday, May 20, said he does not have hard feelings over the Senate majority’s decision to replace him as Senate President.
A draft resolution which aims to replace Pimentel as senate president with majority leader Vicente Sotto III has been signed by 15 senators.
Pimentel said he does not have ill feelings towards his colleagues who signed the resolution.
“Siyempre wala. Ganyan talaga ang buhay dapat open to changes all the time,” he said.
Senators who signed the resolution have different reasons for wanting to replace Pimentel.
Senator Manny Pacquiao said Pimentel’s choice to run for the 2019 elections was his main basis for signing the resolution.
“Wala naman akong nakikita ano, ang nakikita ko lang dahil kandidato sya sa 2019 elections kailangan nyang magpokus sa kampanya,” Pacquiao said.
Meanwhile, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said Pimentel was “too kind” and cited his alleged inability to protect the Upper House of Congress when House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez called out the Senate for the slow pace of discussions over several key legislations.
Senator Panfilo Lacson clarified that the majority bloc’s decision to replace Pimentel is not an act of coup d’etat. He explained that Pimentel can choose which Senate committee he would like to head.
“Kasi normally pag coup d’état ang SP nagiging minority leader. Ito walang ganito,” Lacson said.
“Ang napag-usapan namin ano ang gusto niyang committee ibibigay namin sa kanya at lahat kami willing bumitaw sa isang major committee na hawak namin para ibigay sa kanya kung gusto niya,” he added.
A Senate majority bloc caucus is set to be held on Monday to discuss the decision.
