The Manila Times
(UPDATE) THE Senate minority bloc staged a coup and unseated Senate President Vicente Sotto III after securing 13 votes to effect leadership change, including a vote from Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who has been in hiding since November 2025. After being absent from the Senate for five months, dela Rosa suddenly appeared at the chamber to cast his vote for Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, along with 12 other senators, dislodging Sotto. Aside from dela Rosa, seven other minority senators voted for Cayetano. They were Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Robinhood Padilla, and Joel Villanueva. Four members of the majority bloc were the “swing votes” and helped Cayetano secure the Senate presidency. They were Sens. Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, and siblings Camille Villar and Mark Villar. Those who abstained were Sens. JV Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri. The eight senators who voted for Sotto were Bam Aquino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Francis Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, and Raffy Tulfo. At the start of the session, Alan Cayetano said his group has secured 13 votes to effect leadership change. Villanueva moved to declare all seats vacant. It was Marcos who nominated Alan Cayetano to replace Sotto while Lacson nominated Sotto. An hour before the session, Lacson confirmed that there was an “active attempt” to stage a coup against Sotto. Asked what was the reason for the coup, Lacson said, “I don’t want to speculate. But we monitored over the weekend that there was indeed an active attempt to change the leadership.” Sotto said he “always expect” any power grab. “I have experienced it around six times, from 1992 up to present. I serve on the pleasure of our peers.” Pressed whether the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte was the reason for his removal, Sotto said, “Probably. That’s a very strong possibility because if I were SP (Senate president) once the House (of Representatives) approves the articles of impeachment and sends it to us, I will convene the impeachment court tomorrow.” Asked what will happen to the impeachment trial at the Senate, Sotto said, “Better ask the newly elected SP (Alan Cayetano) what he will do with it.” “Insofar as we are concerned, we will continue with the work,” Sotto said in a chance interview. Zubiri said he “against the change of leadership but the numbers were against us (majority bloc).” “However in this next chapter in the Senate leadership, I want to be an independent member of this august body,” he said in a text message. “And therefore I do not join the majority [bloc] nor the minority to show no political color. Now, I serve only the Filipino people and no political side,” Zubiri said.
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