Pimentel takes a backseat as Binay joins Estrada

by Fel V. Maragay


An opposition stalwart has quit as chairman of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan, opting for a passive role in his party which has just allied itself with deposed President Joseph Estrada’s political group.

The resignation of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. from the top party post sparked speculation that he has some differences with Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, PDP-Laban president, especially over his decision to team up with Estrada of Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino in the 2010 elections.

“Not necessarily. I just want to feel free,” the outspoken Pimentel told Standard Today in a phone interview yesterday. He corrected reports that he did not agree that Estrada should run again for president.

He said he had decided to relinquish his post to give younger leaders of the PDP Laban a chance to set the directions of the party.

Pimentel, 76, said he feels “useless in his role as party chairman and he believes it is time somebody else should assume the post and do justice to the role.”

When asked who will replace him as PDP-Laban chairman, he said “it is up to them.”

Pimentel is now in Geneva, attending the session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s committee on the human rights of parliamentarians, of which he is one of the five members.

While the veteran parliamentarian will remain as an ordinary member of the PDP-Laban, his son, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, will stay as secretary-general of the party. News of Pimentel’s resignation as PDP-Laban head came on the eve of the official announcement of the presidential bid of Mr. Estrada and his choice of Mayor Binay as his running mate.

The lawmaker from Mindanao clarified that his resignation had nothing to do with the fielding of the Estrada-Binay team. He said he sent his resignation letter to Binay on Oct. 12 before a final agreement was reached on his teamup with Estrada.

Pimentel said he was reluctant to speak publicly about his resignation because he did want not it to be a source of intrigues against Binay.

He said he and Binay had an understanding that he will have a free hand in running the PDP-Laban while he concentrates on his job as head of the opposition bloc in the Senate.

“Unlike before, I was deeply involved in the affairs of the party. But when I became Senate minority leader, I told Jojo that it was up to him to run the party,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel, who is “graduating” from the Senate on June 30, 2010 after serving for two consecutive terms, has opted not to run for another elective post.

His political heir, Koko Pimentel, ran for senator in the 2007 elections but landed number 13 in the official results. Claiming he was cheated, he filed a protest with the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

Koko Pimentel was invited by Estrada to join the PMP-PDP Laban coalition’s 12-member senatorial slate. But he declined the invitation since he is confident of winning his protest against Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, a fellow Mindanaoan.

The elder Pimentel said he has advised Koko to focus on his electoral protest, which he may lose by default if he joins the 2010 senatorial derby.

“He should not run again because he is winning in his electoral protest,” the senator said.

The recount of votes in disputed precincts covered by Koko’s complaint has been completed. It showed he has won over Zubiri by a wide margin.

Zubiri was given by the SET up to this month to present his evidence to disprove Koko’s claim of cheating.


Source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNation.htm?f=2009/october/21/nation2.isx&d=/2009/october/21