Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said he and fellow senator-elect Vicente "Tito" Sotto III are prepared to join the minority bloc if the latter fails to clinch the Senate presidency in the upcoming 20th Congress.

In an interview at Usapang Senado on DWIZ, Lacson explained that if Sotto is not elected Senate President, it would follow that both of them would become part of the Senate minority.

“Automatic ’yun (That's automatic),” Lacson said.

He added that in such a scenario, he would recommend Sotto to serve as minority leader out of respect for his leadership.

“Parang out of deference naman sa kaniyang pagiging leader, siya na rin yung pipiliin kong maging minority leader (Out of deference to his leadership, I would also choose him to be the minority leader),” he said.

Despite the uncertainty over who will lead the Senate, Lacson said he remains committed to his legislative duties, which include budget scrutiny, interpellation, and participation in Senate oversight functions.

Lacson earlier declared his support for Sotto’s bid for the Senate presidency, citing his experience and leadership during his four-and-a-half-year tenure as Senate President under the Duterte administration.

"For me, it is clear. He is my friend and colleague whose leadership I have experienced. So I think I can reveal and I can be very frank that I will vote for Sen. Sotto," Lacson said in Filipino in a televised interview.

But Sotto and incumbent Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero are both competent and qualified to lead the Senate, Lacson noted. Both are stalwarts of the Nacionalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

Sotto, Escudero, and Senator Imee Marcos have all been floated as potential contenders for the Senate's top post in the next Congress. 

Sotto, 76, has said he is ready to lead the Senate again if he gains the support of his colleagues, although he will not actively lobby for votes.