MANILA, Philippines — Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III insisted on Tuesday that the ruling PDP-Laban has no problems with the choice of committee chairmanships in the Senate as insinuated by his colleague.
“Friendly conversation lang yun. Ganyan lang yan talaga si Sen. Villar pagka agitated siya,” he told reporters, referring to Senator Cynthia Villar’s outburst during Monday’s session in the Senate.
“So ang masasabi ko na lang, she’s also the leader of her own party, so mind your own party, so fix your own party,” he said.
Pimentel is president of PDP-Laban, while Villar is the wife of Nacionalista Party president Manny Villar.
“Alam ko naman ‘yun that we have to fix our own party. Nobody has to tell us to fix our own party,” he added.
During Monday’s session, Villar berated Pimentel and Senator Manny Pacquiao when the latter tried to seek her signature on a resolution backing the continued leadership of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
“Bakit kailangang magpirmahan tayo? Bakit niyo ako sinasali sa away niyo? Bakit kayo ganyan?” Villar could be heard telling Pimentel and Pacquiao on the floor.
(Why do we have to sign this? Why are you getting me involved in your quarrel? Why are you like that?)
“Ayusin niyo ‘yung kapartido niyo. Huwag niyo akong idadamay sa away niyo,” she added.
(Get your party mate in line. Don’t drag me into your quarrel.)
READ: Villar refuses to sign resolution on Sotto’s continued Senate presidency
Asked if PDP-Laban indeed has a problem, Pimentel quickly said: “Wala. Kaya nga mind your own party kasi kung may problema ka sa party, do not assume may problema kami sa party namin.”
Aside from Pimentel, the PDP-Laban members are Pacquiao and Senator-elect Francis Tolentino, Ronald dela Rosa, and Christopher “Bong” Go.
It was Tolentino who was reportedly egging Villar to challenge Sotto’s leadership.
But even on the issue committee chairmanships, Pimentel denied their party has any problems.
“Wala kaming problema, si Tolentino lang ang hinahanapan,” he said. “But it’s not a problem because there are are 40 committees in the Senate. There are only 24 senators so what’s the problem?” (Editor: Julie Espinosa)