Metro Manila, Philippines – After surviving an attempt to unseat him, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III revealed plans to relinquish the post to Senator Loren Legarda toward the end of her term in 2028.
“Plano namin paupuin si Loren before the 20th Congress ends,” Sotto said in a text message to reporters on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Legarda is also in the majority.
[Translation: We plan to have Loren assume the post before the end of the 20th Congress.]
The 20th Congress will adjourn in June 2028. Once she assumes the post, Legarda will become the first female Senate president.
Sotto, along with Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, previously said Legarda was tapped by the minority to replace him.
Tensions flared at the Senate on Wednesday as the majority and minority blocs held separate meetings ahead of the 3 p.m. session where any leadership change could be made. The session ended with Sotto remaining Senate President.
In a chance interview with reporters afterward, Sotto confirmed there was indeed an attempt to oust him but was thwarted by the majority.
“It’s always the majority. They always decide,” he said.
Not term sharing
In a radio interview on Thursday, Feb. 5, Sotto refused to call the plan to later elect Legarda term sharing, explaining that she would serve only for the final “two to three months” of her term.
“Kasi kung term-sharing 1.5-1.5 years tayo or 1 year tayo. Hindi naman exactly,” he said.
“Ang tamang term is we plan to make her Senate president towards the end of her term, end of 20th Congress,” he added.
[Translation: If it were term sharing, it would be one-and-a-half years each or at least a year. That’s not exactly the case. The correct term is that we plan to make her Senate president toward the end of her term, at the end of the 20th Congress.]
Sotto said the idea began as a joke from Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who posted on social media a photo of Sotto, Legarda, and other majority senators with the caption “power sharing,” amid speculation that Legarda had secured enough support to unseat him.
“Binibiro-biro nila si Loren. Tapos ang naisipan namin… siguro mabuti nga. Gusto nila magkaroon ng first woman Senate president. Sige gawin natin,” Sotto recalled.
[Translation: They were teasing Loren. Then we thought — maybe it’s actually a good idea. They want to have the first woman Senate president, so let’s do it.]
He said Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri then suggested doing so for the last two to three months of her term.
In a separate interview, however, Legarda denied any knowledge of this plan.
“Wala akong ideya. Wala kaming pinaguusapan pa at don’t worry tatanong ko sa kanya ‘yung katanungan mo,” she said.
[Translation: I have no idea. We haven’t discussed it yet, and don’t worry, I will ask him about your question.]
She also refused to comment on claims that the minority had tapped her to oust Sotto, urging media instead to focus on her hearings on culture and the arts, which she said remain her passion over politics.
Senate coup
Talks of a coup attempt emerged following the leak of a draft partial report of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee recommending the filing of criminal charges against Senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, and Francis “Chiz” Escudero over the flood control corruption scandal.
The draft report circulated Tuesday night. By noon Wednesday, Lacson confirmed that the report had been routed and initially secured seven signatures, including his own.
Zubiri, Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito, and Senator Win Gatchalian initially signed the report but later withdrew their signatures. Lacson said that as of Wednesday noon, other remaining signatories were Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros and Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.
The majority bloc held a caucus shortly before the 3 p.m. session to discuss the issues. Seen at Zubiri’s office were Sotto, Lacson, Zubiri, Ejercito, Hontiveros, Aquino, Gatchalian, Pangilinan, and Erwin Tulfo.
Notably absent were Legarda, and Senators Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Raffy Tulfo, Camille Villar, and Mark Villar.
Meanwhile, sources said Legarda and Cayetano met with some members of the minority bloc. The nine-member minority is composed of Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Escudero, Estrada, Villanueva, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, and Robin Padilla.
The minority bloc needed four more votes to reach the 13 required to elect a new Senate president.
Sotto has held the post for five months after replacing Escudero in a leadership change triggered by the flood control controversy.
