Cayetano stays as senate president, for now
The Senate resumed its session with Alan Peter Cayetano still presiding as Senate President, but several sources had confirmed there were talks hours before Monday’s plenary session on his possible replacement.
Among the names cited by the sources were Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, whom Cayetano replaced last week. Escudero replaced Zubiri as the upper chamber’s leader in 2024, while Sotto replaced Escudero in September last year.
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan was also considered, although he had said earlier that he wasn’t interested in the Senate presidency.
Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa—whose attendance on May 11 after an absence of six months provided the crucial 13th vote in Cayetano’s election as Senate President—was the only senator recorded absent on Monday.
Lacking numbers
A senator speaking on condition of anonymity had initially claimed the minority already had the numbers needed to unseat Cayetano. But Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a leading member of the minority, said in a post on X that this was “simply untrue.”
In the May 11 vote that ousted Sotto, nine senators voted for him while Senators Zubiri and JV Ejercito, who now sided with the minority on Monday, had initially abstained.
Cayetano maintained that the ouster plots were “rumors,” citing his latest talks with his allies in the majority.
“Everything is still okay. They said no one is giving in, but the pressure is intense. They’re really being pitted against each other. They’re saying there are already 13 votes, 14,” the Senate leader said in a press conference on Monday.
“If there will be a change [in leadership], it would be smart of them to tell us at the last minute, and I won’t take it against them,” he added.
“So it’s really simple. If the Lord placed me here for an eight-day mission, I will accept that. But if my mission is to begin the impeachment process, I will accept that as well,” Cayetano also said, referring to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to be presided over by the Senate.
Calls to senators
The source later disputed by Lacson could not confirm if Escudero would replace Cayetano, because of the other names also being considered, while another source claimed Escudero would make a comeback based on discussions on Monday morning, since his “leverage” was that some allies from the majority would cross over to his side.
According to the first source, all Cabinet officials and even members of the first family had been calling the senators.
The choice among them for Cayetano’s replacement was either Escudero or Zubiri, according to a third source.
Zubiri’s “acceptability to both the majority and minority” was cited as one of the reasons for his possible return as leader of the Senate.
Dela Rosa’s whereabouts
Meanwhile, Sen. Robinhood Padilla claimed on Monday that Dela Rosa was still in the country, adding, however, that he had no idea where the senator is.
Padilla refused to answer questions as to whether he accompanied Dela Rosa out of the Senate in the wee hours, following an alleged shootout on the night of May 13 between Senate security and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation. (See related stories on Pages A2 and A4).
“Let’s just wait for the investigation,” said Padilla, who also replied when asked if he was still in touch with his missing colleague, “That’s difficult to answer.”
Cayetano himself, citing a report by the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms, said Dela Rosa left the Senate with Padilla around 2:30 a.m. on May 14.
The alleged shootout and Dela Rosa’s exit angered many senators, according to the third source.
Joining the minority
Also in Monday’s session, Zubiri and Ejercito made their respective manifestations that they were now “associating” themselves with the minority.
Zubiri noted that he was criticized for “fence-sitting” when he abstained in the vote on May 11 .
“I just abstained so that I can have a free hand to vote on which issue that I think is important for the Filipino people. But when it comes to the reorganization, I would like to associate myself with the minority,” the former Senate leader said.
Ejercito said: “I thank [the Senate] president for [his] trust and confidence [when] I was offered to become majority leader. But as of this time, I would rather maintain my independence. And with what is happening, I think I’ll be able to perform my tasks very well and my pet programs very well as an independent.”
Committee assignments were also announced during the plenary, with Sen. Pia Cayetano heading the committees on ways and means, on energy, and on sustainable development goals, innovation and futures thinking; Sen. Loren Legarda, the committees on culture and the arts, and on basic education; Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, the committees on health and on sports; Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the committees on national defense and security, and on games and amusements; Padilla, the committees on public information and mass media, and on cultural communities and Muslim affairs; Sen. Joel Villanueva, on higher, technical and vocational education; and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, on public services.
Meanwhile, lawyer Jose Luis Montales, former secretary general of the House of Representatives, was appointed the new Senate secretary, following the resignation of Mark Llandro Mendoza after the leadership change in the Senate.
Villanueva then informed the plenary that the articles of impeachment against Duterte have been referred to the committee on rules, after which the session was suspended to prepare for convening the Senate as an impeachment court. —WITH A REPORT FROM KEITH CLORES
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