Senators confident Sotto can unify Senate

Senators Panfilo Lacson, Grace Poe, and Manny Pacquiao on Saturday expressed confidence that Senate majority leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III will be an effective leader of the upper chamber.

"Unang una siya ang pinaka-senior hindi sa edad kundi seniority sa pagiging senador. Siya ang pinakamatagal diyan. Nauna siya kay Senator Gringo Honasan so hindi matatawaran ang experience niya," Lacson said in a radio interview.

"Kung rules of the Senate pag-uusapan palagay ko sobra na ang qualification niya. Pangalawa nakita namin siya bilang unifying factor maski sa minority maganda ang kanyang pakikitungo at sa tingin ko mas harmonious ang buong Senado, minority at majority," Lacson added.

Poe, likewise, took note of Sotto's longstanding experience as a senator and his ability to "bring the senate together."

"Si Tito Sotto matagal nang senador 'yan, 1990s pa senador na 'yan. Alam naman din ninyo kayong nagko-cover ng Senado na hindi 'yan nag-a-absent palaging on time talagang kapado na niyan lahat 'yan," Poe said.

"Higit sa lahat si Tito Sen brings the Senate together, dahil sa kanyang personalidad kahit papano may sense of humor tapos mabait si Tito Sen at siyempre napag-uusap n'ya kami nang maayos at mas nagiging efficient din yung pagtakbo ng Senado," she said.

Reports said a draft resolution installing Sotto as the new Senate President has been signed by 14 senators.

Pacquiao said his colleagues in the Senate do not see any problem with Sotto as president of the upper chamber.

"Maayos naman tiwala naman kami sa isa't isa kasama rin naman so walang problema," the boxer-turned-lawmaker said.

Lacson, meanwhile, adressed criticisms against Sotto.

"May mga bumabatikos... ang pinakamadaling gawin ng tao manlait, mang-insulto, pinakamadaling gawin 'yan pero alalahanin natin napakatagal na sa Senado ni Senator Sotto, sa public service napakatagal din niya," he said.

"Kaya huwag sana tawaran ang kanyang kakayanan. At ang pagpili ng SP ito ay hindi, ni minsan di niya tinrabaho. Siya napili ng majority na iluklok bilang," he added.

Pimentel had said that he will not cling on to the Senate presidency if his colleagues want him replaced.

Pimentel, who will seek a reelection, admitted that he will be busy preparing the PDP-Laban for the 2019 midterm national elections. He is the party's president. —Ted Cordero/ALG, GMA News