Sotto bares role on Senate presidency

Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Tuesday shared the crucial role he played in electing Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel into the Senate presidency.

In an INQ&A interview, Sotto said he met with a senior group of senators after the May elections to discuss electing a Senate president who would prioritize a budget reform agenda.

Sotto said the circle was initially composed of Senators Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, and Gregorio Honasan.

“We started talking about what we wanted to happen in the administration. We discussed the budget agenda of Senator Lacson, an advocacy that will be very good for the country. We agreed, let’s work on a leadership that will push a budget reform,” Sotto said.

“With that we started talking with other members of the Senate. We had a group of nine, let’s see who will make a good Senate president who will pursue this budget agenda,” he added.

Other senators who joined Sotto’s group were Grace Poe, Sherwin Gatchalian, Francis Escudero, Manny Pacquiao, and Nancy Binay.

After initial talks, Sotto said Pimentel was fittest to become Senate President as he believed in the budget reform agenda.

“When we talked to Koko, ako naman kasi huli ko ugali ni Koko dahil matagal kaming magkasama ni Nene, wala siyang do’s and don’t’s and he believes in the budget reform program (When we talked to Koko, whom I know because his father former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and I had worked together for a long time, he had no do’s and don’ts and he believes in the budget reform program).”

Sotto said it was Pimentel who talked to then Senate President Franklin Drilon and other senators affiliated with the erstwhile ruling Liberal Party to join the majority coalition.

“After that Koko started talking to Frank and Frank was reaching out to us also. We made Koko do the talking. Nung una nga nagtatalo pa kami nila Frank at nila Koko kung sino ang mag-SP. But most of us in the group naman agreed that it should be Koko, para hindi magmukhang opposition ang Senate, and at the same time hindi rubber stamp,” he said.

“One thing necessary in the Senate: You must master the art of compromise,” Sotto added.

INQ&A, broadcast live every Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m, via Radyo Inquirer 990AM, INQ 990 Television (Digital Terrestrial Television), and INQUIRER.net’s Facebook and Youtube accounts, is a weekly talk show that aims to deliver  insightful interviews with the country’s leading newsmakers.

Inquirer 990 TV can be viewed through ABS-CBN’s TV Plus, RCA and Godan digital TV boxes.