Minority senators were quick to "shut down" reported negotiations to reinstall Senator Francis Escudero as Senate president in place of Alan Peter Cayetano amid ongoing efforts to reclaim the chamber leadership.
Escudero had voted in favor of Cayetano during the recent leadership coup that removed Senator Tito Sotto from the Senate presidency. However, barely a week after assuming the post, Cayetano’s leadership has already been hounded by rumors of a counter-coup following the tumultuous events that rocked the institution, particularly the 13 May gunfire incident.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan confirmed reports that Escudero planned to join Sotto’s minority bloc to boost its numbers, currently at 11, in a possible bid to unseat Cayetano.
However, reports also suggested that Escudero’s participation in the move against Cayetano came with the condition that he would again become Senate president.
“There were discussions, but it was immediately shut down by the minority bloc,” Pangilinan said during an interview on ANC’s Headstart.
According to Pangilinan, the proposal did not come directly from Escudero but through intermediaries. He nevertheless described the proposition as “not acceptable.”
Escudero previously held the Senate presidency during the 19th Congress and retained the post at the start of the 20th Congress. He was later unseated in favor of Sotto in September last year amid heightened scrutiny over alleged flood control anomalies in which his name had reportedly surfaced.
During a briefing on Monday, Senator Risa Hontiveros appeared reluctant to directly answer whether the minority bloc would eventually consider Escudero as a possible contender to depose Cayetano, although she confirmed that the issue had surfaced during recent discussions.
“As long as there is someone you can level off with who shares the same values or interests within the institution. But if you're asking me about Senate presidency, as I mentioned earlier, if it becomes Senator Sherwin (Gatchalian), that would be good for the Senate,” Hontiveros said.
The minority bloc has openly floated Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as a possible “compromise candidate” capable of “breaking the impasse.”
Several senators have confirmed aggressive efforts to push for a leadership revamp aimed at ousting Cayetano, although Pangilinan declined to identify senators from the majority bloc whom they are allegedly courting to switch sides.
Despite persistent coup rumors, Cayetano insisted on Monday that he still enjoys the support of the majority.
“The 13 is still intact. Among us 13, no one will double-cross,” he told reporters during an ambush interview.
Senators allied with Cayetano, including Imee Marcos and Pia Cayetano, also declared their continued support for the current leadership despite reports of an impending shakeup.
Cayetano’s hold on the Senate presidency has been viewed as fragile, with only a two-vote advantage over Sotto’s minority bloc.
The minority has intensified calls for a counter-coup, citing senators’ alleged dissatisfaction over recent controversies, particularly Cayetano’s decision to grant protective custody to Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
Cayetano has drawn criticism for allowing Dela Rosa to seek refuge within the Senate premises while attempting to evade an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in connection with crimes against humanity tied to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
The reported failed attempts by National Bureau of Investigation operatives to arrest the former Philippine National Police chief inside the Senate premises allegedly triggered the 13 May shooting incident that placed the institution under intense public scrutiny.
