Pimentel urges PDP-Laban: Back Duterte, don’t believe fake news

Senator Koko Pimentel (left) and President Rodrigo Duterte. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Amid heightened attacks against President Rodrigo Duterte, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has called on members of the ruling party, PDP-Laban, to rally behind Duterte and not to believe all disinformation campaigns against him.

Pimentel sought the support of partymates during the basic membership seminar Thursday night attended by around 40 congressmen, councilors, governors and some private citizens.

“(I told them) support him, support the President, explain federalism. Don’t believe fake news, don’t believe all of these disinformation campaigns,” he said in an interview on Friday.

“Sinabi kong ganun na sa panahon na ito (I said that at a time like this), I have observed personally sustained, increased number of attacks, unreasonable attacks. So being the chairman of the party so let’s support (the President). Actually, it’s not only the President, sabi ko the leadership of the party, including myself because I’m president of the party,” the Senate leader said.

Before this, however, Pimentel shrugged off any possible ouster plot against him at the Senate, noting in jest that he was probably the only Senate president who had kept his post even after he left the country while Congress was in session.

“Wala akong pakialam stable o unstable e. Basta importante stable naman ‘yung term ko . Alam ko hangangg 2019 ‘yung term ko so kahit alisin nila akong Senate president, I’m still a senator kaya meron pa rin akong avenue to let my sentiments or my ideas be heard as a senator,” he said in a separate interview.

(I don’t care about stable or unstable. What’s important is my term is stable. I know that my term is until 2019 so even of they oust me as Senate president, I’m still a senator so I’d still have an avenue to let my sentiments or my ideas be heard as a senator.)

“Ganyan naman dapat ang attitude namin dyan. If it’s time to go, time to go basta irespeto lang ‘yung term mo kasi elected ka for a certain term.”

(Our attitude should always be like that. If it’s time to go, then time to go, just as long as your term is given respect because you’re elected for a certain term.)

He, however, reminded his colleagues that he could not just be booted out from his post unless he is replaced by a senator who has secured the support of the majority or at least 13 of the 24 members of the chamber.

“The Senate president’s term is until he is replaced so therefore you can’t just boot out the SP. You must have a replacement and that person must have 13, not less than 13,” he said.

But since he remains the Senate leader, Pimentel said the assumption was he still has the support of the majority of senators. JE/rga