Bar blast victim among Koko Pimentel's staff

Raissa Laurel, the law student who lost both legs to the 2010 Bar exam blast, will now be working as a member of the staff of newly proclaimed Sen. Aquilino “Koko" Pimentel III. Laurel, who is now in her third year at San Sebastian Law, said she was hired by Pimentel through his legal counsel, who was an alumni of their university. She said she will be working as part of Pimentel's legal team in the day and taking her classes in the evening. "Kami po yung magre-research, tutulong po sa pag-draft ng bills... mostly tulong po, aid sa lawyers," she told GMA News Online in an interview. Laurel, who is Pimentel's distant relative on her mother's side, said she was excited that she will be able to help the senator in his duties. "Gusto ko rin maka-contribute. Kung yun po ang way para makatulong ako — by helping draft a bill, kung ano yung alam ko [gagawin ko]." Pimentel was proclaimed by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) as the real 12th winning senator during the 2007 elections Thursday last week. The next day, he took his oath in Mati, Davao Oriental. On Monday, Pimentel's first working day as a senator, he arrived at the Senate premises past 1 p.m. with his wife Jewel. They immediately went to his office, which used to be Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri's, and then met with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. Zubiri was the subject of Pimentel's electoral protest that dragged on for four years with SET. He resigned earlier this month and withdrew his counter-protest against Pimentel. After meeting with Enrile, Pimentel went back to his office to attend a Thanksgiving Mass with his staff. Asked on how it felt to finally be a senator, Pimentel told reporters that it was " anti-climactic" because his "peak" of happiness was actually last week when he was proclaimed. Pimentel is expected to deliver his first privilege speech before the Senate plenary later in the day. - KBK, GMA News