Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he is ready to take the place of incumbent Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III should majority of their colleagues wanted it so.
“I’m open to that if they give it to me. Sino naman ako para tumanggi [Who am I to resist]?” Sotto said at the regular “Kapihan sa Senado” on Thursday.
Sotto disclosed that since the start of the 17th Congress, some of his colleagues were already prodding him to seek the Senate presidency.
“Yung ibang mga kasama namin [Some of our colleagues] during that time were asking me to seek the Senate presidency but because we wanted a smooth relationship although independent, we wanted a partymate of the President to lead the Senate,” he said.
Pimentel is president of the ruling PDP- Laban, which is being chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Also, Sotto confirmed that a possible change in Senate leadership was also discussed as Pimentel would have to prepare for re-election in 2019.
“Napag usapan namin yan, dumaan sa usapan namin yan, na [We have talked about that, it came up in our discussions that] perhaps we can talk about it… before the filing of certficate of candidacy, something to that effect,” the Majority Leader said.
Asked what they specifically discussed, Sotto said: “We will consider the leadership of the Senate again and we will consult the members kasi hindi pwedeng dalawang senador lang ang mag-uusap kung sino ang magiging Senate leader. It’s always a consensus, it will be a majority decision.” /jpv
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