MANILA, Philippines – With less than two years before the 2019 elections, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said he may have to “rethink” his leadership of the Senate by next year to focus on his reelection.

Aside from leading the Senate, Pimentel is also the president of the ruling party PDP-Laban, seen to be the biggest force in the midterm polls.

Pimentel made the statement when asked if he planned to juggle campaigning for his reelection and leading the Senate.

“There might come a time when I need to concentrate now on my reelection but we’re still far from that period of time. But theoretically, you are correct – there might come a time when you need to rethink where to focus because being Senate president has its own responsibilities. You also have your needs and plans as senatorial candidate,” Pimentel said in a Rappler Talk interview on Tuesday, August 22.

“Especially after October 2018, or late 2018. Because by October, you’ve already filed [the Certificate of Candidacy], so you’re actually a candidate. The pressure would be different,” he added.

Asked if he had informed the party of his plan to give up the Senate presidency to focus on his reelection bid, Pimentel said in a text reply: “No need to inform them. That is mine alone to make.”

Pimentel also said he expects his candidacy to be questioned before the Commission on Elections and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

While the 1987 Constitution allows senators to serve only two consecutive terms, Pimentel said his case is different because he was not able to complete his first 6-year term in 2007.

He was proclaimed senator only in August 2011 after a protracted and bitter election protest against Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. Pimentel served only one year and 10 months and ran again for the Senate in 2013.

“We are well-prepared. If you add the total period, 7 years and 10 months. Logic, fairness, and common sense dictate that I should be allowed [to run],” he said.

PDP-Laban

Aside from him, the senator said the ruling party is also eyeing former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief Francis Tolentino and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chair Martin Diño as senatorial candidates.

Tolentino ran as an independent candidate in the 2016 senatorial race, after he asked to be excluded from the Liberal Party (LP) ticket. This was after he came under fire over a controversial lewd performance at a lawmaker’s birthday party in October 2015.

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, should he decide to join the party, would also be included in the administration slate, Pimentel said.

PDP-Laban has started organizing its 2019 campaign and has begun mass oath taking of politicians nationwide.

The senator’s father, party founder and former Senate president Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr, earlier asked the party to question the motives of its new members. With the lack of a political party system, the elder Pimentel said some politicians just join the party for political expediency and not for its ideals.

In response to his father’s wishes, the younger Pimentel said they are “trying their best” to screen members but admitted it is difficult to do so.

“We are aware of the motivation and I’m sure we cannot screen them out 100%. We will try our very best. I always tell those applying for membership ‘I hope you are doing it because you believe in the party ideology not because you want the Certificate of Candidacy of the party. That will not be easy in 2019. We will really screen,” he said.

Just last week, Pimentel said he has sworn in 35,000 new party members in Masbate alone. – Rappler.com