Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 24) — While Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III sees the dreaded no-election scenario as a “remote” possibility, he assured on Monday that even during congressional break, the chamber will be able to elect a new leader who can serve as acting chief executive.
Sotto, a vice presidential aspirant, has explained that if the May 9 elections fail to push through, the terms of both the president and the vice president shall still end on June 30, as set by the Constitution. That leaves the Senate president next in line to the presidency, being next to the VP in the line of succession.
Twelve senators who were elected for a six-year term until 2025 are eligible for the post. They are Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Francis Tolentino, and Cynthia Villar.
A senator needs the majority vote of 13 colleagues to be elected Senate president.
Congress will adjourn session from Feb. 5 to May 22, but Sotto said this would not stop a necessary leadership change in the Senate. There are also plans to extend sessions to pass pending priority bills.
“With a motion I will propose before we adjourn on Feb. 7, I will be authorized to convene the session even before we resume at the end of May,” Sotto said in a text message to CNN Philippines.
“I think my proposal to elect an SP (from the 12 remaining) that will be acting president after July 1st 2022 has discouraged those who are dreaming of a hold over the government,” Sotto added.
A number of lawmakers earlier warned against efforts to postpone the polls after a faction backed by President Rodrigo Duterte in the ruling party urged the Commission on Elections to suspend the printing of ballots and reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy. The Comelec dismissed the plea of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson previously said a number of senators agreed to elect a new Senate president in February to prevent any extension of the president’s term and preserve the line of succession, in case of a no-el scenario.
