Sotto dumps Kiko in race for Senate presidency

Even familial relationship doesn’t guarantee support in the Senate. Sen. Vicente “Tito" Sotto III on Monday said he is not inclined to vote for his nephew-in-law, Sen. Francis “Kiko" Pangilinan, who is gunning for the Senate presidency in the 15th Congress. “At the moment I don’t think I can support Senator Pangilinan," said Sotto, whose wife, Helen Gamboa, is the aunt of actress Sharon Cuneta, Pangilinan’s wife. He cited "political implications" as reason why he can’t throw his support behind Pangilinan, a member of the Liberal Party (LP). "There are people who helped me in the 2010 elections and it’s not LP. All these groups have given me their sentiment, for me not to support an LP candidate," Sotto told reporters in an interview. Sotto is from the Nationalist People's Coalition. Sotto said he has already informed Cuneta of his decision. Green for yellow He likewise said that maybe it would be good if the Senate president comes from the opposition or even an independent one, rather than from the same party of President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III — Liberal Party. “Kung dilaw ang Malacañang, baka pwedeng berde ang isang branch ng government (If Malacanang is yellow, maybe the other branch of government can be green)," he said, yellow being associated with Aquino. He noted, however, that this does not mean that they will give their vote to Pangilinan’s rival, Senator Manuel Villar Jr. of the Nacionalista Party (NP), a defeated presidential candidate. Sotto said he and Senator Gringo Honasan will vote for Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile should Enrile decides to run for the top post in the chamber again. Number's game A senator needs at least 13 votes — or the majority of the 24-member chamber — to secure the Senate presidency. Pangilinan has the sure support of fellow LP members Senators Franklin Drilon, Teofisto Guingona III, and Ralph Recto. He also claims to have the support of Enrile, Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy" Estrada, and detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. On the other hand, Villar has the votes of Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Pilar Juliana Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Joker Arroyo, and Ferdinand “Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who all ran under NP. Yet to formally express their support behind a particular candidate are Sen. Edgardo Angara, Honasan, Sotto, Loren Legarda, Lito Lapid, Ramon Bong Revilla, and Juan Miguel Zubiri. Sotto said although he is “beholden" to Angara’s group, he might not vote with the them. “Mayroon ngang mga member dun na alanganin (There are other members of that group who are also undecided)," he said. Legarda will supposedly vote for Villar, her running mate in the recent elections, while Lapid and Bong Revilla have reportedly promised their votes to Pangilinan. Kiko's appeal Earlier in the day, Pangilinan appealed to his fellow senators who have yet to decide whom to vote for as Senate president. “We appeal to our senators who have yet to decide on the issue that they decide in favor of unity and moving the nation forward," he said, claiming that he is only two votes shy in securing a majority. He said that if the Senate fails to secure a working majority on July 26, it would send a “signal" to the country that the senators cannot unite for the sake of national interest. “This would not be good for the Senate as an institution," he said. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV