Sotto ouster unlikely, say Senate insiders

Whether there would be a counter-coup against Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will be seen today, 15 September, or in the following day amid persistent rumors of another leadership shake-up in the upper chamber.

Earlier yesterday, a reliable source said that the coup attempt to seize the presidency, among other powerful posts in the Senate, would definitely happen over a reported displeasure how Sotto and new Blue Ribbon Committee chair Senator Panfilo Lacson are handling the flood control scandal.

But according to Senate insiders contacted by DAILY TRIBUNE, the supposed move to oust Sotto lacks the numbers.

“No truth to the coup attempt. The people will only get angry at them. The 15 senators who voted for Senator Sotto remain solid, while those trying to stage a comeback in the Senate leadership have only nine. They’re the only ones making noise so they can return and defend their masters, the Dutertes,” the source said in a phone interview on Sunday.

The nine senators who did not vote for Sotto as Senate president were Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Jinggoy Estrada, Robinhood Padilla, Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano and Joel Villanueva.

“What is certain is Senator Marcoleta will be facing the media at 10 a.m. on Monday,” according to the source.

Fueling speculation was a cryptic post on Saturday by Davao-based digital news portal OneTV Philippines circulated on social media, saying: “BREAKING: Another Regodon (sic) in the Senate?” and claiming that “Senate Minority Leader Allan (sic) Peter Cayetano secures numbers for Senate presidency.”

Sotto, through his official X (Twitter) account, dismissed the takeover gossip, noting that no hearing on the questioned flood control projects had yet transpired under Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chair Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

“Very devious! Ping Lacson’s Blue Ribbon has not even held a hearing yet, and some already want a change. What are they so afraid of?” he said. Lacson backed Sotto and debunked the rumors, branding the supposed counter-coup as “fake breaky news.”

In a post, Lacson said the news “intends to deceive and confuse,” and it also “underestimates the intelligence of the new Senate majority block.”

“Malevolent, underhanded, foul, and desperate. If there’s a song ‘Achy Breaky Hearts,’ here it is — ‘Faky Breaky News,’” he added.

Lacson also underscored that there is a proper and professional way to change Senate leadership.

“The proper and professional way is to call or approach the Senate president, inform and show him the resolution signed by at least 13 senators, then the sitting Senate president resigns at the opening of the session, not through a media outlet, whether nationally recognized or obscure,” he explained.

A leadership change had already taken place in the Senate on 8 September, when Sotto, at the time serving as minority leader, was elected Senate president, replacing Escudero.

That shake-up also saw Lacson elected as Senate president pro tempore, replacing Senator Jinggoy Estrada and replacing Senator Marcoleta as chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas Department of Political Science chief, Professor Dennis Coronacion, said that if there is any senator likely to transfer to the minority, it would be Senator Pia Cayetano — but even then, the numbers remain short.

“As for the other members of the majority who were not part of the then-minority, they might wait first to see if they would really benefit from aligning themselves under Sotto’s leadership. And it would be difficult to sway the 15 senators,” Coronacion told DAILY TRIBUNE, adding it is too early to tell if the Senate can endure another major revamp.