LP joins Senate 'super majority,' backs Pimentel leadership

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Franklin Drilon on Wednesday confirmed that the Liberal Party (LP) has united with the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) and other parties to form a "super majority" in the Senate.

At a press conference, Drilon said that 17 senators from the LP, NPC, Akbayan and Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino have decided to support Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel Jr. as the new Senate president, according to reports from TV5-Bilang Pilipino.

Pimentel, who is from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, is the lone partymate of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte in the Senate.

Drilon said that he decided not to run for Senate President anymore for unity and stability in the upper chamber.

The outgoing Senate president announced that majority of the senators have also expressed their support for Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III as majority leader and for Drilon as Senate President Pro Tempore.

Drilon said that the new Senate leadership under the 17th Congress will maintain independent but will be supportive of Duterte.

House Speaker Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte Jr. also met on Tuesday with members of PDP-Laban in Davao City to form a super majority in the House of Representatives and support the bid of Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez to become the new Speaker.

Alvarez said that more than 200 lawmakers are joining the super majority to support his leadership.