Koko Pimentel gets games committee chairmanship

Newly proclaimed Sen. Aquilino “Koko" Pimentel Jr. was chosen to head the Senate committee on games, amusement, and sports. The committee was previously chaired by Sen. Lito Lapid. The Senate also gave Pimentel, who started attending sessions on Monday, membership to several committees including finance, energy, education, labor, defense, and blue ribbon. Pimentel, son of former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., was proclaimed by the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) Thursday last week after it ruled that he was cheated by more than 200,000 votes in the 2007 elections. The SET said Pimentel should have secured the last spot, instead of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, who announced his resignation on August 3. As a senator, Pimentel, a lawyer, promised to institute reforms in the automated election system. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News