By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
If it were up to him, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said he would keep his post as the Upper Chamber's leader and juggle his time as a reelectionist in the 2019 midterm elections.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III
(Senate of the Philippines / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Pimentel, however, said he is ready to step down from the post.
"Kung ako ang tatanungin mo kung pwede sanang hindi na di ba? Pero ganito kasi yan we should not be too attached to the position (If you would ask me, I would not anymore step down. But it's this: we should not be attached to the position)," he told reporters, when asked anew when the reported change in the leadership in Senate would happen.
While saying that his stepping down "is always a possibility," Pimentel clarified that they have yet to decide on when.
Members of the Senate majority were supposed to have caucus on the matter but was postponed due to the death of former Senate President Edgardo Angara, father of their colleague Sen. Sonny Angara.
Pimentel's term will end on June 30, 2019. He said he does not want to hold on his Senate presidency even after he gets reelected on the May 2019 polls.
Earlier, Pimentel said he is considering Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III to replace him once he files his certificate of candidacy in October to prepare for the midterm elections.
"I am also president of PDP-Laban so I have to prepare for the slate of the party nationwide. So hindi lang ako busy sa filing ng COC ko buong partido ang inaasikaso ko. I am busy nowadays on political matters," he explained to reporters today.
Sotto said he would not refuse should majority senators vote him as next Senate chief.