Sotto to take Koko’s place as Senate president this year, says Lacson

There will be a change in Senate leadership within the year, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Thursday.

Lacson said he was “privy” to an earlier “agreement” or “understanding” that Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III would eventually take the place of Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

“I understand that there’s already an agreement or understanding between Senator Sotto and Senator Pimentel pero kung kelan e-execute, o i-implement (but when it will be executed or implemented), we don’t know,” Lacson said at a weekly forum in the Senate.

“Knowing Senate President Pimentel, hindi naman siya magbabago sa ganung klaseng usapan (he won’t change his mind with this kind of agreement),” he said.

Lacson said the leadership change could happen within the year— either in July or in October, at the latest.

“In the first place, magpa-file ng certificate of candidacy si Senate President Pimentel sa October ‘di ba (Senate President Pimentel will file his certificate of candidacy in October) so it’s either in June or July when we come back after sine die or October siguro (maybe) at the latest,” he said.

Congress is on break until May 15 and will adjourn sine die on June 1. After a two-month long break, it will resume session on the third week of July.

Lacson could not say though if other posts would be affected by the impending change of leadership.

But when sought for comment, Pimentel denied he and Sotto had an agreement.

“No agreement,” he said in a Viber message to reporters, “But will talk to Sen. Sotto immediately upon arrival. Then (we will) hold a majority caucus.”

Sotto had earlier expressed his readiness to replace Pimentel if majority of his colleagues would agree on it.

“I’m open to that if they give it to me. Sino naman ako para tumanggi [Who am I to resist]?” the Majority leader said in the same forum last week. /je

READ: Sotto as next Senate president: Who am I to resist?