Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto looked back on his 2025 journey as the year came to an end.
"2025 was a comeback year for me in public service after three years of life as a private citizen," Sotto said.
After his unsuccessful bid for vice president in the 2022 national elections, Sotto filed his certificate of candidacy on 2 October 2024 for a return to the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections. He ran under Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Following the May 2025 elections, Sotto became the longest-serving public official in the country, particularly in the Senate.
From minority bloc to being Senate president
Sotto ran for Senate President when the 20th Congress convened on 28 July, but was defeated by Francis "Chiz" Escudero, who was re-elected with 19 votes to Sotto's five.
Following that, Sotto became Minority Leader of the Senate and opposed a motion to archive the impeachment of Sara Duterte, along Senators Risa Hontiveros, Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, and Bam Aquino, following a Supreme Court ruling that declared the complaint null and void ab initio and held that the Senate did not acquire jurisdiction.
On 8 Sept., a motion was filed and approved to declare the position of Senate president vacant. Sotto was nominated by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri as the sole nominee, and was elected by acclamation to the Senate Presidency, with 15 senators voting in his favor.
"A humbling experience coming from the minority to being elected as the Senate President in the middle of one of the largest controversies that challenged the institution," Sotto said.
"The last six months comprises of whirlwind national issues both in the Senate and the country as a whole. From the impeachment to the flood control issues," he added.
Establishing new standard of transparency
Sotto, before the first-ever live-streamed bicameral conference committee on the 2026 budget convened, assured that it was the "cleanest" budget deliberations since 1992.
"It is a year of opportunity to correct the wrongs and establish a new standard of transparency that our countrymen deserve," he continued.
"I made sure that for the first time, the whole budget process was opened to the public for scrutiny and participation," he added.
What Sotto looks forward to in 2026? To be able to continue to serve the Filipino people "with utmost sincerity and honesty."