MANILA – An apparent conflict within the ruling party and the need for a more confrontational leader influenced the impending change in Senate leadership, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III is expected to assume the Upper House presidency after 15 of the 23 senators signed a resolution making him the next Senate president.
Today the Senate will hold a caucus where they are expected to discuss when the change in leadership will happen.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III himself asked for the meeting, according to Lacson.
“Kukunin namin ang thoughts niya (Pimentel),” Lacson said. “Hintayin namin ano’ng sasabihin niya at doon kami magdedesisyon ano magiging consensus.”
A “combination of many incidents in the past” is one of the reasons for the impending leadership change, said Lacson.
“May kasabihan tayo sa pulitika: ‘All politics is local,’” he said.
Pimentel is also the president of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan.
“May kasamahan kami roon na hindi nagugustuhan ang PDP-Laban, ang sumusumpa pa ng mga kasapi nila iyong mga kalaban pa ng kanilang kapatid, ama, kamag-anak. In-express nila, medyo may problema,” said Lacson.
Moreover, “ang underlying na kagustuhan namin talaga maging solid ang solidarity ng majority bloc – ’di mabubuwag, ’di mabasag,” he stressed.
Senate needs a leader who can defend the institution from attacks, Lacson said.
“Noong bumabanat ang Speaker ng (House of Representatives) sa Senado na mabagal na kapulungan, tapos voting jointly para balewalain kami, gusto nila may marinig sila sa mismong leader ng Senado,” said Lacson.
“Hindi confrontational kasi si (Pimentel). Ako pa nga medyo nag-react, nag-criticize … at ako medyo napababad,” he said./PN
