Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is the son of former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., of Mindanao and Ilocos Norte, and Mrs. Lourdes de la Llana of Zambales. Born on January 20, 1964, in Cagayan de Oro City, Pimentel received his Law degree from the University of the Philippines (UP) and topped the Bar Examinations in 1990 with a grade of 89.85 percent.  He was awarded Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 2012 and Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) by the UP in 2017. He became senator in August 2011 after he won his election protest and was re-elected in the 2013 and 2019 elections. Pimentel is a founding member and the President of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan or PDP Laban.  He is an untiring advocate of the federal system of government and aims to lead the Philippines towards a just, safe, democratic, and peaceful society, and a citizenry that is educated, happy, patriotic, and God loving.