Senators agree to keep Sotto as Senate President

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will stay as Senate President when the new Congress opens in July.

The decision to keep the status quo in the Senate was reached in a caucus of the majority bloc on Monday and during a meeting with presumptive senators over the weekend.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said they expect the “majority of 20 senators” to back Sotto’s leadership.

“I don’t expect any changes,” Recto told reporters after the caucus.

Recto said even the incoming senators, during a dinner he hosted over the weekend, also expressed their support for the present leadership in the Senate.

Present in the dinner, aside from Recto, are presumptive senators Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go, Francis Tolentino, Ramon “Bong Revilla, Senators Koko Pimentel, and Manny Pacquiao, and Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Recto said no other names were floated as a possible replacement of Sotto.

“There’s nothing to be discussed about that because we only have one leadership right now,” he said.

Zubiri echoed Recto’s statement, saying there was an agreement to retain Sotto’s leadership.

“So far the discussions were to retain Senator Sotto for Senate President and me as your Majority Leader and Sen. Ralph Recto as Senate President Pro Tempore,” Zubiri said in a separate interview.

“Status quo. Yung mga committees lang naman ang pinag uusapan (Only the committees are up for discussion),” he added.

Zubiri also confirmed that the incoming senators, during the dinner, agreed to keep the status quo in the Senate.

“But things can happen, and I hope it doesn’t change,” he said. (Editor: Eden Estopace)

READ: Sotto assures public of independent, transparent Senate