Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday quelled rumors of a leadership change in the upper chamber, stating that no group has secured the 13 votes required by the Constitution to unseat the sitting Senate President.
In a radio interview, Sotto clarified that despite speculation surrounding a potential move by Senator Loren Legarda to take over the post, the constitutional threshold for electing a Senate President remains fixed regardless of how many senators are present during a session.
“You will always need the 13 signatures. Even if only 14 or 15 senators are present, you still have to have 13. That’s the rule, that’s the law in the Constitution on how to elect a Senate President,” Sotto said.
The Senate President explained that a delay in Wednesday’s session resulted from informal discussions held at the request of Legarda.
While members of the majority met at the Senators’ Lounge, Sotto held a separate meeting with minority bloc members to address their concerns.
Sotto noted that the internal friction was not rooted in dissatisfaction with his leadership. Instead, he attributed the tension to various issues, including the work of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and a perceived imbalance in the scrutiny applied to senators compared to members of the House of Representatives.
Addressing rumors of a “term-sharing” agreement, Sotto denied any formal plan to divide the remaining term of the 20th Congress.
However, he acknowledged that there were discussions regarding the possibility of Legarda assuming the presidency toward the end of the term, specifically after the passage of the 2027 national budget.
Sotto expressed confidence in the chamber’s stability as legislative work continues, noting that no formal challenge backed by the necessary signatures has been presented to him.