By HERBIE GOMEZ
Editor in chief
SENATORS Aquilino Martin Pimentel III and Alan Peter Cayetano have set their eyes on the presidency of the Senate, an official of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) revealed to the Gold Star Daily yesterday.
Formal talks on the Senate leadership have yet to start but this early, the names of the two senators have already surfaced, confirmed PDP-Laban secretary general Ben Ranque.
“He (Pimentel) is interested [on the Senate presidency]. But Cayetano has also taken interest. I don’t know what will happen. Let’s just wait and see,” Ranque said.
The revelation came two days after PDP-Laban, the political party of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and the Nacionalista Party (NP) signed a coalition agreement in Davao. The “covenant” was signed by Pimentel and former senator Manuel Villar, NP’s leader.
Pimentel is the president of PDP-Laban while Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate in the just-held elections, is a member of NP.
On Monday, Duterte, who would succeed President Aquino, offered Cayetano membership in his Cabinet. Duterte said Cayetano could opt to become the secretary of foreign affairs or the justice department after one year.
If Pimentel succeeds, he would be the second Cagayanon–and a Pimentel at that–to become Senate president. His father Aquilino Jr. briefly served as Senate president from 2000 to 2001 during the Estrada administration, and worked as a senator from 1987 to 1992, and then from 1998 to 2010.
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