Koko Pimentel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Koko Pimentel
Pimentel in 2018
Senate Minority Leader
In office July 25, 2022 – June 30, 2025
Preceded by	Franklin Drilon
Succeeded by	TBD
22nd President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office July 25, 2016 – May 21, 2018
Preceded by	Franklin Drilon
Succeeded by	Tito Sotto
Senator of the Philippines
In office August 11, 2011 – June 30, 2025
Senate positions Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee In office July 23, 2019 – June 30, 2022 Preceded by Loren Legarda Succeeded by Imee Marcos Chair of the Senate Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Committee In office May 25, 2018 – June 30, 2022 Preceded by Migz Zubiri Succeeded by Mark Villar Chair of the Senate Electoral Reforms and People's Participation Committee In office July 24, 2018 – June 30, 2019 Preceded by Leila de Lima Succeeded by Imee Marcos In office July 22, 2013 – June 30, 2016 Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Leila de Lima Chair of the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee In office August 21, 2024 – June 30, 2025 Preceded by Sonny Angara Succeeded by TBD In office July 22, 2013 – June 30, 2016 Preceded by Francis Escudero Succeeded by Leila de Lima
Commissioner of the National Youth Commission for Mindanao
In office 1996–1998
President	Fidel V. Ramos
Chairperson	Amina Rasul
Personal details
Born	Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III (1964-01-20) January 20, 1964 (age 61) Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
Political party	Nacionalista (2024–present)
Other political affiliations	PDP (2001–2024)
Spouses	Jewel May Lobaton ​ ​ (m. 2000; annulled 2018)​ Kathryna Yu ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	3
Parents	Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Lourdes de la Llana
Alma mater	Ateneo de Manila University (BS) University of the Philippines Diliman (LL.B)
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer lecturer

Aquilino Martin "Koko" de la Llana Pimentel III (born January 20, 1964) is a Filipino politician and lawyer. He served as a senator of the Philippines from 2011 to 2025. During this time, he was the Senate President from 2016 to 2018. He also served as the Senate Minority Leader from 2022 to 2025.

Koko Pimentel is the oldest son of former Senate President Nene Pimentel. He is the first child of a past Senate President to also hold that important position.

In 2007, Pimentel almost won a Senate seat. He later became a senator in August 2011 after a review of the election results. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2013 and again in 2019. In 2025, he ran for a seat in the House of Representatives for Marikina's first district but did not win.

Early Life and Education

Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III was born on January 20, 1964, in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. His parents are Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and Lourdes de la Llana-Pimentel. His father was a lawyer and later became a senator in 1987.

Pimentel studied Mathematics at Ateneo de Manila University. He then earned his law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law. In 1990, he achieved the highest score in the Philippine Bar Examinations.

Legal Career and Early Politics

Pimentel, as chair of a Senate committee, leads a meeting.

After becoming a lawyer in 1990, Pimentel worked at his father's law firm from 1992 to 1998. He also served as a commissioner for the National Youth Commission from 1995 to 1998, representing the Mindanao region.

He taught law at the University of the East College of Law and other universities until he was elected to the Senate in 2011. In 2001, Pimentel ran for mayor of Cagayan de Oro city but was not elected.

Philippine Senate Campaigns

2007 Election

In the May 14, 2007, senatorial elections, Pimentel was very close to winning the 12th and last Senate seat. He was narrowly defeated by Bukidnon Congressman Miguel Zubiri. Pimentel questioned the results, especially votes from Maguindanao province.

Election Review

In Philippine senatorial elections, the top twelve candidates with the most votes nationwide become senators. In the 2007 elections, Pimentel and Migz Zubiri were competing for the last seat.

The official count showed Zubiri winning by a small number of votes. Zubiri was announced as the 12th senator on July 14, 2007. Pimentel then asked the Supreme Court to stop Zubiri's announcement, claiming there were issues with the votes. The Supreme Court did not agree.

Pimentel then filed an election protest with the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET). The SET decided to recount the votes. In July 2011, some officials said there was widespread election fraud in 2007.

On August 3, 2011, Zubiri resigned from the Senate. He stated he was not involved in any fraud. On August 11, 2011, the Senate Electoral Tribunal announced the final vote count. Pimentel was declared the rightful winner of the 12th Senate seat.

2013 Election

Pimentel was considered for a group of senatorial candidates for the 2013 election. However, he decided not to join that group because his former political rival, Migz Zubiri, was also included. Instead, Pimentel ran with a different group called Team PNoy, which supported then-President Benigno Aquino III. Pimentel was elected to the Senate, placing eighth in the election.

2019 Election

Pimentel stepped down as Senate President on May 21, 2018, to focus on his re-election campaign in 2019. He was elected as senator again, ranking tenth in the votes.

Senate of the Philippines (2011–2025)

After being declared the winner of the 2007 Senate race, Pimentel officially took his oath of office on August 12, 2011.

Senate President (2016–2018)

Pimentel (top left) during President Rodrigo Duterte's 2016 State of the Nation Address.

On July 25, 2016, Pimentel was chosen as the Senate President. He and his father, Nene Pimentel, are the only father-and-son pair in Philippine history to both serve as Senate President.

In November 2016, Pimentel spoke up when a government official called people protesting a hero's burial for a former leader "temperamental brats." Pimentel said the protesters were "principled" and came from humble backgrounds. He told the official to "Review your history."

In May 2017, Pimentel supported the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao. He also voted against a resolution that asked Congress to discuss the martial law declaration. His father, Nene Pimentel, had a different opinion on the matter.

COVID-19 and Public Health

In March 2020, Pimentel announced that he tested positive for COVID-19. He had visited a hospital to be with his wife. The hospital later shared a statement about the importance of following health rules to protect doctors and other patients. Pimentel later said he had recovered.

Political Party Discussions

In 2020, Pimentel nominated Senator Manny Pacquiao to be the president of their political party, PDP–Laban. Later, there were disagreements within the party. A group of members removed Pacquiao as party president and Pimentel from his leadership role. Pimentel and Pacquiao then formed their own group within the party.

In 2022, Pimentel's group supported Manny Pacquiao for president. Another group within PDP–Laban supported Bongbong Marcos. Pimentel criticized this, reminding them that the PDP-Laban party was founded to oppose the rule of Marcos's father, Ferdinand Marcos. He urged party members to remember their history and principles.

Pimentel also filed a Senate resolution in March 2022. This resolution asked the Senate to investigate why a large amount of estate tax from the family of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. had not been collected for many years.

Senate Minority Leader (2022–2025)

On July 25, 2022, Pimentel was elected as the Senate Minority Leader. He was part of a two-member minority group in the Senate. Like his father, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Koko Pimentel became Minority Leader after serving as Senate President.

2025 Marikina Congressional Campaign

Pimentel's Senate term ended in 2025. He decided to run for a seat in the House of Representatives for Marikina's first district. His wife, Kathryna, had also planned to run for the same position.

During the campaign, Pimentel was criticized online for attending a program orientation on the first day of the campaign period. In the May 12, 2025, election, Pimentel lost the race.

Personal Life

On May 18, 2012, Pimentel received an honorary doctorate degree from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

In January 2000, Pimentel married Jewel May Lobaton, who was Miss Universe Philippines in 1998. They had two sons. They began living separately in 2011. In October 2018, Pimentel married chef Kathryna Yu in Marikina. Many important people attended their wedding. In March 2020, their daughter, Helena, was born. In late 2022, Pimentel became a resident of Marikina, where his family had lived since the 1980s.

Electoral History