Senate coup averted; Sotto stays on as Senate President but…

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February 4, 2026 | 6:20pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Tito Sotto narrowly averted being ousted, with the majority successfully thwarting a coup attempt.

In a media interview, Sotto himself confirmed that there were efforts to enact a change in leadership.

Reports of an impending coup began circulating, with Sen. Loren Legarda rumored to assume the Senate presidency. Other outlets reported that the current minority bloc—composed mostly of pro-Duterte senators—would become the majority.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Cayetano, prior to the session on Wednesday, had also hinted at a possible change in leadership.

The Senate session went off the air for more than an hour. By the time the livestream resumed, Legarda herself was occupying the top seat, with Majority Leader Migz Zubiri calling her “Madame President.”

Sotto was seen on the floor with the other senators, while other members of the majority bloc were all smiling at Legarda and one another.

The minority bloc led by Cayetano was noticeably absent from the floor.

While it initially appeared that Legarda had assumed the Senate presidency, Sotto seemed to be in high spirits during a media interview, confirming that the majority had successfully thwarted a coup attempt.

“The majority, not me,” Sotto said.

Sen. JV Ejercito, a member of the majority, hinted at the possibility of term-sharing within the majority. However, he called this mere “lounge talk” at the moment.

However, adding credence to a possible term-sharing is Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, posting a photo of the majority with the tagline: “#PowerSharing.”