In a blistering critique that reignites old rivalries and throws the Senate into the spotlight, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III lambasted his colleagues for what he called a “mockery” of the impeachment process against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Mahiya naman kayo,” Sotto snapped in a radio interview Thursday, blasting senator-judges for what he described as blatant violations of impeachment court protocols. “They’re acting like political operators, not impartial judges,” he said, taking a direct swipe at the handling of the high-profile proceedings that have already exposed deep divisions within the upper chamber.
At the heart of the controversy is Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s attempt to quash the impeachment early by filing a motion to dismiss—just hours after senators took their oaths as jurors. Sotto wasn’t having any of it.
“Judges don’t file motions. That’s a basic rule. These senators should be ashamed. They’re not there to play defense for Duterte or act as prosecutors for the House,” he said.
The drama took a turn when Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero defended the move, claiming there’s no rule explicitly banning senators from filing motions during an impeachment trial. But Sotto, clearly unimpressed, retorted, “Just because it’s not written doesn’t mean it’s right. There’s a reason why tradition and procedure matter. Without them, the Senate becomes just another political circus.”
Sotto vs. Chiz: The clash for Senate supremacy
The spat between Sotto and Escudero is more than just a disagreement over procedure—it’s a battle for control of the narrative and possibly the Senate presidency. Escudero has accused Sotto of siding with the House of Representatives and “betraying” the Senate by backing the impeachment process.
“Instead of standing with the institution, he stood with the other chamber,” Escudero said. “He threw us under the bus to score political points. That’s not leadership. That’s grandstanding.”
Sotto, undeterred, hit back, exposing what he called Escudero’s “paletot governance”—claiming that the impeachment articles were frozen without plenary discussion for months while Escudero continued issuing public statements as though the case was moving forward.
“Let’s not pretend everything was above board. Even other senators are saying they weren’t consulted,” Sotto revealed, citing private exchanges with Nancy Binay and Miguel Zubiri.
Behind the scenes: A power struggle disguised as due process
Sources inside the Senate suggest the impeachment trial is now a proxy war between political factions ahead of the 2028 elections. With Vice President Duterte still a formidable force in the national scene and whispers of her eventual presidential bid, the stakes of this impeachment trial go far beyond legal arguments.
“There’s a reason this is getting messy,” said one Senate insider who declined to be named. “This isn’t just about Sara. This is about 2028. And Sotto knows it.”
House-Senate relations in free fall
Tensions between the two chambers are also at boiling point. The Senate’s controversial decision to send the impeachment articles back to the House, demanding a constitutional certification, was seen by House leaders as an insult.
Speaker Martin Romualdez called the move “deeply concerning,” suggesting it undermined the constitutional authority of the House to initiate impeachment. “The Senate is not above the Constitution,” Romualdez warned.
Meanwhile, House prosecutors have vowed to push forward, insisting no constitutional violations were made and calling on the Senate to “respect the process, not sabotage it.”
Will Sotto return as Senate president?
Amid the chaos, rumors swirl of a potential Senate leadership shake-up. While Sotto played coy when asked if he had the numbers to reclaim the Senate presidency, he hinted at ongoing support.
“Some want me back. Others are still on the fence. If 13 senators say yes, I’ll serve again,” he said, adding with a smirk, “But I won’t beg for it.”
For now, the Senate sits on a knife’s edge—torn between legal duty and political allegiance, between tradition and ambition. And if this week is any indication, the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte may end up putting the Senate itself on trial.