Duterte to Senate presidency rivals Pimentel and Cayetano: Fight it out

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has maintained a hands off approach in the race for the Senate presidency, which is being contested by his key allies, Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Alan Peter Cayetano.

Duterte, however, gave an unsolicited advice to Pimentel and Cayetano, who graced a business forum on Tuesday in Davao City where the incoming president was the main guest.

"Both of them are my friends and neutral ako. Sabi ko, 'fight it out,'" Duterte said, eliciting laughter from a roomful of businessmen and policy makers at the SMX Convention Center.

Pimentel is said to have the upper hand in the race with Senate President Franklin Drilon declaring last week that the two-term senator already clinched the support of 16 of the 24-member Senate.

Drilon said he agreed to give up his post to Pimentel, a stalwart of Duterte's PDP-Laban party, to provide stability to the chamber.

Despite being the running mate of Duterte in the May 9 elections, Cayetano would not get the coveted post since he imposed demands in the selection of committee chairmanships, which turned off some senators, according to incoming Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

The election of the next Senate leader will take place during the opening of 17th Congress on July 25. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News