When we read the Philippine Daily Inquirer story on recently reelected Senator Tito Sotto claiming that 11 other senators are supposedly pushing him to be Senate President, we asked, “Who are these senators and can we push them back?”
Seriously, though, Sotto was said to have made the revelation “after learning that some of his partymates in the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) have expressed support for the chosen candidate of presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte for the Senate presidency.” That candidate is believed to be Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
Sotto, however, did not name the senators whom he claimed were backing him.
Sotto had this to say to his NPC partymates, “I suggest, huwag nilang pakialaman ang leadership ng Senate. NPC or not, wala silang pakiaalam. Kasi susuportahan nila ang gusto ng President, e kung hindi yan ang gusto namin? NPC ako, hindi nila ako susuportahan? E di magpapaalam na ako sa partido (I suggest they not meddle with the Senate leadership. NPC or not, they shouldn’t meddle. Because they will support the President’s choice, and what if that’s not what we want? I’m from NPC, and yet they won’t support me? If so, then I’ll leave the party).”
Sotto added, “They should not commit right away [to anyone, especially on the issue of leadership in the Senate] because they don’t know if an NPC [member] is being groomed by many senators to be Senate President. Hindi alam ng NPC leadership na may kino-consider na iba ang maraming senador (The NPC leadership don’t know that other senators are considering others).”
