Senator Raffy Tulfo dispelled allegations made by Senate President Alan Cayetano that the minority bloc is instigating a counter-coup by force, or through threats, to unseat him just a week after assuming the chamber’s top post.

“We would never do that. Never. None of us would do something like that. Why would we?” Tulfo told reporters partly in Filipino in a chance interview on Tuesday. 

Tulfo, however, revealed that the minority held a caucus on Monday, but the discussion was limited to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Cayetano was installed in the chamber’s top post last Monday following a successful coup against Senator Tito Sotto. However, his grip on power has been precarious amid threats of a brewing counter-coup to unseat him over the 13 May shooting fiasco that put the Senate in a bad light globally. 

He recently revealed that there have been ongoing efforts to expand his 13-member majority, which only holds a two-vote lead over the minority led by ousted Sotto. 

Last week, Cayetano alleged that some members of the majority are being “threatened” to join the efforts for another leadership revamp aimed at unseating him. 

Cayetano managed to retain the Senate presidency amid reports of a coup over the weekend.

Tulfo said he has no plans to jump from the minority to the majority of Cayetano “come what may.” Although he recognized that the recent leadership revamp may leave him losing his committee chairmanships. 

As of Tuesday, he said no one from the majority has courted him to join their bloc.