Will Tito Sotto lead the Senate in the 20th Congress?

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Presumptive Senator Tito Sotto says several senators have approached him about replacing Senate President Chiz Escudero

With 12 new senators set to assume office in the 20th Congress, will the Senate see a leadership shakeup?

This is the question of many political observers, especially as former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is comfortably ranked 8th based on partial, unofficial results from the Comelec Media Server as of 2:41 pm, Thursday, May 15. As of this time, 99.12% of total votes have been processed.

Responding to reporters’ questions on Friday, May 16, Sotto said several senators had approached him about being the next Senate president.

“I’d be lying if I said no. Some people have been talking to me. You know me — you all know what I’m like. I’m not the type to go around asking people to sign up and support me. That’s not who I am. I take after the old-timers — very old school,” Sotto said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“If they have the numbers and they want me to be Senate president, I’ll accept,” he added.

Sotto told reporters that he is in talks with three to four senators about replacing Senate President Chiz Escudero, who took over from Senator Migz Zubiri in May 2024.

“Mga tatlo, apat, nakakausap ko. Ganoon lang. And they’re saying that their peers are ready to support me. Sabi ko naman, if we have 13, I will accept,” Sotto said.

(I’ve been talking to about three or four people. That’s it. And they’re saying their peers are ready to support me. I told them if we have 13, I will accept.)

Sotto is among the six candidates of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate poised to win in the Senate race. Sotto will again be the most senior senator in the upper chamber, under the 20th Congress.

Sotto had served as Senate president from 2018 to 2022, spanning the 17th and 18th congresses. He was first elected as senator in 1992 and served two terms, until 2004. He made a Senate comeback in 2010, and was reelected in 2016. He ran for vice president in 2022.

In the legislative branch, leadership is typically held by those allied with the President to ensure alignment with the executive’s priorities. At the House of Representatives, Speaker Martin Romualdez, the President’s first cousin, is at the helm.

In a press briefing on May 15, Escudero appeared unfazed by a potential leadership shakeup. He said he would not cling to the position if other senators have the numbers.

“It’s not a question of hoping, it’s a question of reality. Ulitin ko, ang Senate president dapat may kumpiyansa ng mahigit na mayorya ng Senado (Let me repeat, the Senate president should have the confidence of more than the majority of the Senate),” Escudero said.

The 20th Congress will open against the backdrop of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate, initially scheduled for July 30. – Rappler.com