Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson on Saturday disclosed that there are at least 13 incumbent and incoming senators of the 20th Congress who have expressed preference for a Senate president who is “independent, transparent, and competent.”
“Napag-usapan namin ng ilang mga senador, yung mga incumbent ngayon at tsaka yung mga incoming. Ang aim namin is to have an independent, credible, and transparent 20th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines,” Lacson said in an interview after his proclamation as senator at the Manila Hotel.
(We discussed with several senators, both the incumbents and the incoming ones. Our aim is to have an independent, credible, and transparent 20th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines.)
“Kaya kung sino man ang masuportahan, ito lang ang ating pagdidiinan, kailangan independent tayo, kailangan transparent tayo, kailangan competent tayo,” he added.
(We want to emphasize this to whoever gets the support: he or she must be independent, transparent, and competent.)
Asked how many 20th Congress senators joined this discussion, Lacson said, “I lost track… At least 13.”
He added that the discussion was done “individually.”
Asked who was the frontrunner to meet the criteria, Lacson refused to divulge.
“Secret,” he said, adding that this will be finalized and decided during the opening of the 20th Congress on July 27.
Installing a new Senate president requires 13 votes from the 24-member legislative chamber.
Meanwhile, Senator-elect Vicente “Tito” Sotto III reiterated that he is willing to accept the Senate presidency if he has the support of the majority.
Sotto was Senate president from 2018 to 2022.
Senate President Francis ”Chiz” Escudero said on Thursday that whoever has the numbers must accept the responsibility and challenge of leading the legislative body. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
