Philippine Daily Inquirer

KOKO: I’M NOT TOO ATTACHED TO POSITIONS

- By Leila B. Salaverria @LeilasINQ

Nobody should be too attached to his position, according to Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III who said he would respect the decision of the majority on who should lead the chamber.

Pimentel, who would run for reelection in 2019, said he was set to meet with Sen. Vicente Sotto III, majority leader, to discuss the Senate leadership issue.

Sotto had expressed willingnes­s to become Senate president.

Pimentel said he wanted to be updated by Sotto.

“You shouldn’t be too attached to the position,” Pimentel said in a phone interview.

He declined to say whether he preferred to stay as Senate president until the filing of certificat­es of candidacy in October.

It would depend on what he and Sotto would talk about, he said.

In a separate radio interview, Pimentel said anybody, including him, should be open to change.

He also said it would be good if the term of the Senate president would go beyond June 30, 2019, to avoid a leadership vacuum.

He also noted that he would be in charge of fixing the slate of the ruling Partido Demokratik­o Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, which he leads as president.

He also has to prepare for his own reelection bid.

He admitted, though, that Sotto has the upper hand.

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