Marcos confident legislative agenda remains despite Senate shake-up

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is confident that the administration's legislative agenda will remain intact despite the recent change in the Senate leadership, emphasizing that the shake-up will not derail the plans set for the 20th Congress.

"I do not actually see any problem in terms of the legislative agenda that the executive and the legislature have agreed to undertake for the next Congress," President Marcos said during a Kapihan sa Media event, held after the conclusion of his three-day State Visit to Cambodia from 7-9 September.

The President's remarks followed Monday's reorganization in the Senate, where Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III formally assumed the position of Senate President, replacing Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero. The change came after Sotto garnered the support of a majority of the 24-member chamber.

Marcos, who previously served as a senator from 2010 to 2016, described the leadership change as an "internal matter" for the Senate.

He then underscored his confidence in the institution’s ability to self-organize and carry out its duties effectively.

"The Senate knows how to organize itself; the Senate also knows how to do the work," he said.

“And if Senator Sotto is now the SP again, then I do not see that it will change very much from what our agenda that we had agreed upon when Senator Chiz was SP,” he added.

The President did not elaborate on any potential changes in Senate committee chairmanships or legislative priorities but reiterated his belief that the Senate, under Sotto's leadership, will continue to collaborate productively with the executive branch.

The 20th Congress, which will serve during the remaining three years of President Marcos’s term, is expected to prioritize key legislation focused on economic recovery, infrastructure development, digitalization, and peace and order.