MANILA — Malacañang on Monday said that it would treat the next Senate President as a “close ally,” whoever that person may be.
“Whoever the senators may choose as their Senate President, we assure the incoming Senate President of our willingness to work with him,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
“We recognize that whoever the new Senate President would be would also be a close ally of the Palace,” he added.
Roque made this remark after Aquilino Pimentel III stepped down as Senate President and nominated Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as his successor.
Majority of the upper chamber’s members — 15 of 23 — earlier signed a resolution electing Sotto as the new Senate President.
Roque, meanwhile, also expressed appreciation for Pimentel, noting that a number of landmark legislations were enacted during his term of office.
“We respect the choice of our senators on their leader although we would like to commend and express our appreciation also for the partnership that we had with Senate President Koko Pimentel,” Roque said.
“We know that we had landmark legislation enacted during his term of office, these include the free tuition for all state university and colleges, the free irrigation among others,” he added.
He noted that the legislations would not be enacted into laws if it were not for Pimentel’s cooperation.
Pimentel, president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), said after stepping down, he plans to go around the country to explain federalism to the public.
He said he was grateful that he was able to lead the upper chamber, a post his father, former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. has held in the past.
“I step down knowing that I did my best to do this. I wish my successor, Senator Sotto good health and Godspeed, and pledge to help the new leadership pass pro-people legislation, consistent with the legislative agenda of the President,” Pimentel said. (PNA)
