MANILA, Philippines — Vicente Sotto III was unseated as Senate president on Monday after 13 of the 24 senators voted to declare all leadership posts vacant and elected Alan Peter Cayetano as his replacement during the chamber’s session.
The leadership change occurred at the start of the Senate session, when Cayetano, then minority leader, announced that at least 13 senators supported a change in leadership. The session was suspended and later resumed, with Joel Villanueva moving to declare all Senate leadership positions vacant. The motion passed, 13-10, with JV Ejercito abstaining.
Cayetano secured the Senate presidency after receiving the support of a slim majority that included his vote. The vote followed the return of Ronald dela Rosa, whose presence completed the numbers needed to form the majority bloc.
The new majority bloc included Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, Camille Villar, Mark Villar, Robinhood Padilla, Villanueva, Christopher Bong Go, Francis Escudero, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta and dela Rosa.
Senators who voted to support Sotto included Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, Lito Lapid, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino and Sherwin Gatchalian. Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri abstained in the vote for Senate president.
The leadership change unfolded as the House of Representatives of the Philippines prepared to vote on articles of impeachment against Sara Duterte, which were set for transmittal to the Senate.
Earlier in the day, Padilla said on social media that there was no plan to change Senate leadership to stop the impeachment process.
During the session, Cayetano informed Sotto of the move and requested an orderly transition in accordance with Senate rules.
Sotto’s removal followed earlier shifts in Senate leadership. He returned to the Senate presidency in September last year after a leadership change that replaced Escudero.
Sotto had held the position for four years during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
