Pimentel says House speakership coup ‘always a possibility’

MANILA, Philippines — A coup in the House of Representatives is “always a possibility even in the Senate,”  Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Thursday.

Pimentel said this during the Kapihan sa Senado when asked about Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte’s disclosure about talks of a possible coup during the election of the new House Speaker on July 22.

This despite the endorsement by his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, of Taguig Representative Alan Peter Cayetano as Speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress with the remaining 21 months to be be served by Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

Velasco is the candidate of Duterte’s ruling PDP-Laban party.

“Ang mga coup  hindi ina-announce ha. Ewan ko kung mayroong announced coup…” said Pimentel,  president of PDP-Laban.

“Basta always a possibility yan di ba kahit dito sa Senate…nangyari na yata dito yan.”

“Not under the Sotto regime,” Pimentel though quickly added,  referring to incumbent Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

“Basta, theoretically, everything is possible…” he further said.

The President’s son earlier claimed receiving reports that one of three contenders for House Speaker is planning a coup on July 22.

“May election pa sa July 22 at doon ako mas interesado, kung sino ang manalo. Kasi may balita balita, may isa sa tatlo na balak mag coup d’etat on the day. Mukhang hindi pa tapos ang laban para sa kanilang tatlo at sa mga backers nila (There is an election for speaker on July 22, I’m more interested in that. There are rumors that a candidate is planning to stage a coup d’ etat on that day. It appears the speakership race is far from over),” Paolo told INQUIRER.net, without naming the contender. /muf

READ: Paolo Duterte says speaker race far from over, hints at looming coup