(UPDATED) - Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III announced Monday, May 21, that he is stepping down and will nominate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III as his successor.
Likely to replace Sotto as majority leader is Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Pimentel said.
He said he has told Sotto that they will implement the change in leadership “with minimum disruption” and that he was open to chair any committee that may be assigned to him.
Contrary to reports, Pimentel said there was no previous agreement between him and Sotto on the Senate's reorganization.
“Walang usapan, pero merong tuksuhan (There was no agreement, but we joked about it),” he said in a press conference prior to a caucus by the Senate majority bloc where he said he will nominate Sotto as his replacement.
Pimentel said he will focus on preparing the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), of which he is president, "for its participation nationwide in the 2019 mid-term elections."
“This is already a political year,” he said. Filing of the certificate of candidacy for the 2019 elections is scheduled for October 1 to 5, 2018, Pimentel added.
In the statement which he read at the start of the press conference, Pimentel said he was grateful for the support of his colleagues in crafting and passing landmark legislation.
“It has been an honor and a privilege for me to serve the Senate as its President, a position once held by my father. He served the Senate with dignity, always staying true to his principles and consistently putting the interests of our nation before his - and it was his example I had tried to emulate during my time at the helm of the Senate,” Pimentel said.
Asked how his father, former Senate president Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., reacted to his decision to step down, the outgoing Senate leader said that this is how a reorganization should be done.
"This is an example of a peaceful and willing transfer of power in the Senate," Pimentel said.
Pimentel said he will go around the country advocating for federalism.
“The cause of federalism needs help. Federalism is not only PDP-Laban’s advocacy but also my personal one. Hence, I need to help the cause of federalism on my personal time,” Pimentel stated.
He will also concentrate on legislative matters.
“I will no longer concern myself with Senate matters, like lack of parking space. I will now focus on legislative matters,” he said.
Pimentel was elected as the 28th Senate President in July 2016. His announcement that he is stepping down contradicted his statement on Thursday, May 17, that brushed aside rumors saying Sotto would replace him.
Under his leadership, the Senate passed landmark legislation such as Republic Act (RA) 10931, which grants free tuition and other fees in state universities and colleges; RA 10932, which strengthens the provision of emergency health care service to patients by prohibiting medical practitioners from demanding advance payments from patients needing immediate care; RA 10929, which provides free internet access in public areas; RA 10963, which lowered the rates for personal income tax; RA 10928, which extends the validity of the Philippine passport from five to ten years; RA 10930, which extends the driver's license validity from three to five years; RA 10969, which provides free irrigation to farmers; RA 10951, which made the penalties in the Revised Penal Code fairer and more reasonable; RA 10927, which covered Casinos under the Anti-Money Laundering Act; and Joint Resolution No. 1, Series of 2018, which increased the base pay of uniformed personnel in the military and the police.
During Pimentel’s term, the Senate also concurred in treaties involving the following: membership of the Philippines in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), climate change agreement (the “Paris Agreement”), cybercrime, the RP-EFTA (Free Trade Agreement), the Framework Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation with the European Union, avoidance of double taxation, and standardization of social security benefits. (MVI/SunStar Philippines with PR)