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MANILA - Outgoing Senator Francis Escudero views what he calls the 'skirmishes" and "posturing" for the Senate leadership as too early.

Escudero said that in his 21 years in Congress--9 years with the House of Representatives and 12 with the Senate--talks about a change in the Senate leadership is just too soon.

"Anumang pormahan ngayon, whatever skirmishes you see now, whatever posturing you see now, these are simply too early to my mind," Escudero said.

Tensions rose between reelected senator Cynthia Villar and Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Monday when the former solicited signatures from colleagues for a resolution expressing support for Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

• Villar miffed as Pacquiao seeks support for Sotto's Senate leadership

Escudero admitted that he was one of the 14 senators who signed the resolution.

"Sa pananaw ko hindi," when asked if Pacquiao's move was right. "Kaya nga ang hugot ni Sen. Villar, nanggaling sa miyembro ng PDP-Laban yung mungkahing ako'y tumakbo tapos magpapapirma kayo bigla tungkol sa pagsuporta kay Sen. Sotto. Ayusin nyo problema nyo, wag niyo akong idamay."

Villar, in an earlier interview said she is not targeting the Senate Presidency and would go back to her committees on agriculture and food and environment and natural resources.

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Escudero said Sotto has a very good chance of retaining his post as Senate president in the 18th Congress.

"Because he enjoys the support of the majority of senators who will remain and also the support of the senators who got reelected, if not all of them. Add to that his unwavering support to the administration of President Duterte," Escudero said.

The senator also believes that the Duterte administration wouldn't want a split Senate.

"Meaning a Senate with a big chunk of minority members not supporting its advocacies and legislative agenda. It's in the interest of the administration of President Duterte to hold a wide margin both in the House and in the Senate," he said.