Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) President and Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is going to be the Senate president in the 17th Congress, Senate President Franklin Drilon declared yesterday. At a forum in Manila, Drilon said the decision to elect Pimentel as the next Senate president was arrived at after a meeting Tuesday night among members of major political parties in the Upper Chamber, the six Liberal Party (LP) members, an Akbayan party-list member, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC), and other allied political groups. Drilon said two groups – one led by him and the other led by Sen. Vicente Sotto III – have the support of 16 to 17 senators. While Drilon did not name names, it was learned that those who are supporting Pimentel are: Senators Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, Ralph Recto, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, incoming senators Leila de Lima and Joel Villanueva, Hontiveros, [...]
