Sotto on why Lacson is back as panel chair
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is confident he will remain the head of the chamber when it opens its second regular session in November.
“Yes. God willing,” Sotto told reporters at the “Kapihan sa Senado” forum on Wednesday who asked him if he sees himself keeping his post.
Asked what what made Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson decide to come back as head of the powerful blue ribbon committee, Sotto said at a separate forum that the former wants to continue what he started.
“He felt that our colleagues—and even the public—knew he had left behind some things that needed to be continued. As they say, he had unfinished business in the blue ribbon committee,” Sotto said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo currently serves as acting chair of the committee.
The day before, Sotto confirmed that Lacson would retake the committee chairmanship when sessions resume.
Lacson, however, said he had warned Sotto that his return might cost the latter the support of the majority and possibly even the Senate presidency.
Asked about Lacson’s warning, Sotto simply said: “So be it. I’ve been afraid for so long that I no longer get scared.”
Sotto dodged an alleged coup d’etat before the chamber adjourned session on Oct. 10.
Prior to this, there were rumors about an alleged attempt to unseat him which he himself denied.
Even Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who was reported to be Sotto’s replacement, denied plotting against the Senate president.
Disappointed colleagues
Not long after this, Lacson resigned as head of the blue ribbon panel on Oct. 7. He cited as a reason the “disappointment” of some of his colleagues over the direction being taken by the committee in its investigation of anomalous flood control projects.
According to Lacson, some senators claimed he seemed more interested in going after their colleagues while protecting House lawmakers who had been tagged as the “principal actors” in irregularities in the 2025 national budget and ghost flood control projects.
As for Lacson’s warning that he might end up losing the Senate presidency with his return, Sotto said: “As far as we know, everything is stable in the Senate.”
“Each of us is preoccupied with our respective duties and personal concerns,” he added as he also noted that Cayetano himself told him “he was not talking to anyone.”
Collegial choice
“So as far as we’re concerned, that was probably just a deduction made by other people. It could be something that is true but then again we leave it to our peers,” Sotto said.
But he also reiterated that he serves at the pleasure of his colleagues, saying he could serve in any position or even as a regular senator.
Sotto headed the Senate minority group when the majority chose to reelect Sen. Francis Escudero as Senate president during the opening of the 20th Congress on July 28.
But on Sept. 8, Escudero’s position was declared vacant and Sotto was subsequently elected new Senate president. According to a Senate source, Escudero lost his post because he stalled the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and also due to his connection with Centerways Construction and Development Inc., one of the 15 contractors identified by President Marcos that had bagged controversial flood control projects.
Sotto admitted the possible leadership change in the Senate was mentioned when he and Lacson were discussing the latter’s return as blue ribbon panel chair.
“Of course, some people were thinking that if I was not the Senate President, Senator Lacson would not become the blue ribbon committee chair,” he said.
But Lacson was just following the evidence, Sotto stressed, adding: “We are not targeting a particular person or sector of government. It just so happens that this is where the trail is leading.”
