Majority Leader Sotto heads Senate
THE SENATE on Monday unanimously elected Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III as the 24th Senate President of the Philippines, replacing Senator Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III.
“Senator Vicente C. Sotto III is hereby elected to the Senate presidency,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto who presided over Monday’s plenary session.
Meanwhile, Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri was elected the next Senate Majority Leader and chairman of the Senate committee on rules, a position he previously held in 2008.
In his speech, Mr. Sotto pledged to continue helping the passage of laws that would benefit the country and Filipinos, banking on the lessons he learned serving nine Senate presidents in his 20 years at the Senate.
“The knowledge learned from whatever university in the world cannot be matched (with) the experience and wisdom I learned from Senate Presidents Neptali Gonzales, Ed Angara, Ernie Maceda, Marcelo Fernan, Blas Ople, Frank Drilon, Nene Pimentel, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Koko Pimentel,” he said.
In an interview with reporters, Mr. Sotto said there would be no changes in the Senate’s legislative agenda despite the change in leadership.
“There are priorities even during the time of Senate President Pimentel. We are pushing for it and we will continue. There will be no change. Definitely, we will work for the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law). We will be working for the approval of the occupational safety law, and then the universal health package law, and the public service act. All these must be approved by the Senate hopefully by next week,” he said.
For his part, Mr. Zubiri said the Senate would prioritize the proposed BBL, the “endo” (end of contractualization) bill, amendments to the retail trade law, and the bill on foreign equity.
“We will continue to prioritize the BBL to achieve long-lasting peace in Mindanao, end the ‘endo,’ amendments to the retail trade to allow more investments; and the Public Services Act to allow competition on people’s basic needs such as telecommunications and transportation,” he said in a statement.
Also on Monday’s session, Mr. Pimentel was designated chairman of the Senate committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship and Senate panel chairman of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) on the Automated Election System.
Mr. Pimentel stepped down as Senate President early Monday and nominated Mr. Sotto to the top Senate position before holding a caucus with the Senate majority bloc to discuss the changes in Senate leadership.
“I am together with my colleagues in the Senate majority in this reorganization of the Senate leadership and announce that I will be the one to nominate Senator Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III as the new Senate President today,” he said at a press briefing.
“I step down knowing that I tried my best to do this. I wish my successor Senator Sotto good health and godspeed and pledged to help the new leadership pass pro-people legislation consistent with the legislative agenda of the President,” he added.
Mr. Pimentel said he plans to go around the country to campaign for federalism, the advocacy of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). And as the ruling party’s president, he also said it was his duty to prepare his party for the upcoming 2019 midterm polls.
He said the change in Senate leadership at this time would allow Mr. Sotto more time to achieve the passage of laws in the Senate.
He cited the free irrigation law, the free tuition fee act, and the measure increasing the base bay of soldiers and police as among the landmark legislation that the Senate passed under his leadership.